


Nox Caelum

by RedPaladin465



Category: Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Character Bonding, Character Development, F/M, Queensglaive, Spoilers, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 105,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8833186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedPaladin465/pseuds/RedPaladin465
Summary: When disaster strikes in Altissia at the summoning of Leviathan, Luna is left to pick up the pieces after Noctis gives up the Power of Kings to save her life. Now, she must deal with powers and training she never had to save the world, all the while mourning for the man who would have become King.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic started out as a headcanon on tumblr-  
> "One theory is that the Astral’s chosen one had their powers split into a king and oracle after the Ardyn fiasco. And when Luna died, she gave the Oracle powers to Noctis, the King of Kings. Imagine if Noctis could pass on his powers to Luna.  
> So, imagine a Final Fantasy game where you reach this moment, and the player gets to chose who lives and dies. Which one dies, and what are the consequences? We know how it is with Noctis, but what about Luna?  
> She has to deal with powers she never expected to have and training she never had to save the world. She has her own dose of guilt about Noctis, and she is constantly reminded by the presence of the guys who loved Noctis so much that they stuck with her - his future wife and inheritor of her powers - in her new found quest to save the world."
> 
> A huge thank-you to MilesAboveFantasy (noct-noct-whothere on tumblr), for coming up with this headcanon and collaborating with me to plan out this fic! The stuff they've published is fantastic, so go check out their AO3 page :)  
> We're very excited to delve into Luna's character a bit more alongside the other chocobros, giving a little insight into the what-if of this very key moment in the game. Hope you enjoy the ride with us! Feel free to add us on tumblr (noct-noct-whothere and finalfantasyx).
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

In the days of old Lucis, there was one in line to take the throne. So generous, so selfless was he that when the world was on the verge of being plunged into eternal darkness in the war of the gods, the Great War of Old, he was the first to respond to the call of the gods, offering himself for the sake of the world at the beckoning of the Crystal that was given to him by five of The Six. The Scourge came, and with the help of the First Oracle, he opened his body to host the darkness, restoring the light to Eos, but at a heavy cost.

The Crystal and the Kings of the Lucii, their lights tied to the Ring given to the King of Lucis, denied him ascension when his time came; it took his given name of Lucis Caelum and gave it to another, one who was called to take the Crown. The Savior’s heart was no longer pure, steeped in darkness, and for that, Providence cast him out. He was banished from Lucis, and slowly, his demonized powers grew to the point where he became immortal. Betrayed by the one whom the Crystal had chosen, betrayed by five of the Astrals, he pledged himself to Ifrit, the Bringer of the Night, shrouded himself in the darkness he hosted and disappeared, history blotting out his name.

It was because of him that the Astrals divided the power to push back the darkness, now known as the Starscourge- half to the Kings from the line of Lucis, half to the Oracles from the line of Fleuret, chosen by them. It is because of this reason that the King and Oracle should stand together always, for it is they who safeguard the world.


	2. The Will of Kings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Oracle falls, so does the King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, the amount of kudos and comments and hits that I've gotten for this so far is simply astounding. Thank you all so much for your patience and support! I meant to finish this chapter a few days ago, but as I kept writing, it there was more stuff I wanted to put in until this became the finished product. I hope y'all enjoy this first chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV.

The once-grand city of Altissia was unrecognizable; the sights on the waterways that left Noctis breathless- _he was to get married here?_ – were now in ruins, destroyed and submerged by the very waters it rested on. Leviathan threw her head back and roared, rearing on her long neck before the Hydraean’s eyes focused on the Crown Prince- King. Noctis grit his teeth, pulling at his magic and summoned a lance, the polearm lighter than the broadsword and deadlier than his blade. He pulled his arm back before throwing his weapon as hard as he could, warp-striking to meet his target. Again, and again, and again he struck Leviathan, but despite the blue blood seeping from her wounds, the Astral wasn’t slowing. As soon as he landed the last hit, she slammed against him so hard in midair he landed on his back on the stone altar, pain reverberating through his body and paralyzing him.

 _Breathe_ , he thought desperately. The quick breaths that usually helped dull the pain seemed to only agitate his wounds further; the King felt as if his bones had all been shattered. In fact, he was a hundred percent sure a couple of his ribs were broken. Grunting, he turned his head to where he last saw Luna, trying to find a ray of hope amid this seemingly-hopeless battle, trying to gather his resolve, the resolve that he felt every time he saw her on television during their long years of separation, every time he received a note from Umbra she had written in their notebook, the resolve that whispered with a will of steel.

_I will save her._

Instead, his searching eyes found his fiancé only to see Ardyn Izunia crouch down to where she had been lying on the ground, exchange a few words with her, and then- a flash of steel, a soundless scream that was ripped form his broken body- drove a short knife into her abdomen. Then, as if he was standing next to him, Noctis heard his voice.

“Oh, Prince! Your bride awaits!”

_I will save her._

The King willed himself to get up, to move his body and muster the strength and magic he needed to warp-strike to where Luna was, but his body wouldn’t obey him.

_I will save her._

It was then he felt a strange warmth enveloping him, a light surrounding his body as he was lifted into the air. Power surged through him, pushing away the paralyzing pain he felt only moments before. Noctis didn’t have to ask; this was the Oracle’s power, given to him by Luna, calling out to the Power of Kings, and his own power had responded. He could feel their joined forces twisting, melding inside of him as they became one, calling forth the Armiger. The Oracle’s Trident joined the ranks of the weapons surrounding him, confirming what he already knew, and Luna’s soft whisper, carried by the wind into his ears-

_Defeat Leviathan. Bring down the Empire. Restore the light. I believe in you._

_I will save her._

Noctis opened his blue eyes and narrowed his gaze at the roaring Hydraean in front of him. He didn’t hesitate. As the power coursed through him, he drew his broadsword and swung it toward the Astral, impaling it over and over, pulling at another short sword to slash at her. Leviathan howled in pain as she attempted to block his attacks, using her serpentine body to try to slam at him, but he phased out of each attack, warp-striking to counter. His magic acted of its own accord as the weapons of the Lucii flew at the goddess, attacking relentlessly. Each hit connected with the Astral, whose blue blood poured forth and mixed with the waters below. The goddess was weakening; he was sure of it.

With one final cry, Noctis summoned Luna’s trident, gathering all his power before thrusting it right into Leviathan’s neck, slashing all the way down to where the Hydraean’s body met water.

It was finished. Breathing heavily, the King pulled weakly at the magic he had left, warping to the small platform he saw Luna on and landed next to her on his knees, crashing to the floor after. He struggled to lift his head, but the sight of his fiancé burned through his pain and exhaustion, and he half-crawled, half-dragged himself to her side. The wet ground was soaked with her blood, and _gods, there was so much blood_. Noctis gathered Luna into his arms, frantically feeling for a pulse.

_I will save her._

There it was, a faint flutter against his index and middle fingers. He felt his heart swell, the lump in his throat not going away.

_I will save her._

The day Niflheim invaded Tenebrae, he watched from his wheelchair, from his father’s arms as he was carried to safety, unable to do anything, unable to save anyone.

Noctis was helpless as he watched the magitek soldiers with their cold, never-living bodies and colder red eyes jump from their airships, opening fire on everyone and everything that was there. He was helpless as he saw the sylleblossoms he and Luna loved so much, made so many promises over, go up in flames. He was helpless as he watched Queen Sylva step in front of her son, impaled on the sword of General Glauca, whom he now knew as the traitorous commander of the Kingsglaive under his father. He was helpless as he saw Ravus on the burning ground, screaming for the Lucians to help when Glauca pulled the sword from his mother’s body, causing it to fall in front of the young prince. He was helpless as he watched Luna pull her hand from his father’s that day, as she stopped running and magitek troops surrounded her and took her captive for the next twelve years.

_I will save her._

No more. He would not be helpless anymore. Noctis’ right hand found Luna’s, his left arm holding her against him, and closing his eyes, thrusted his magic out of him to heal her. That tug brought his attention all the wounds and injuries he sustained from the battle, the pain his power had pulled away before returning full-force. He grit his teeth as all of his bleeding wounds all over his arms, neck, a long gash along his side, felt as though salt water was being poured on them. The broken ribs he ignored before screamed out, the shoulder he didn’t even notice was dislocated during his power high spotted his vision with the sudden burst of pain.

Feeling the short rope of his remaining power holding him back, the King bit down hard on his lip and forced the rest of his magic over Luna, not caring that blood was now flowing profusely from his wounds. His magic was all but drained, and he did the only thing he could think of- Noctis felt for the Crystal’s power, felt for how it tied to his life force, and tore it out, the power flowing into the woman in his arms.

_I will save her._

Lunafreya was taken hostage by Niflheim.

_I will save her._

Lunafreya was suffering through her communion with the gods on his behalf.

_I will save her._

Lunafreya was dying.

_I will save her._

With a final push of magic, Noctis yelled out, and then everything was silent. The waters that were raging over Altissia froze, the droplets hanging suspended in the air. Leviathan’s roar no longer sounded, and the wind stopped. Weakly, the King looked warily at the world around him, his heart pounding in his ears. He was completely powerless, both his magic and strength drained, if something, whatever caused this, tried to attack.

“Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

A bright light shone from Luna’s body and shot out in every direction, crystal shards forming in the air as transparent figures appeared, looming above him. Noctis tensed, but then went slack as he recognized the one that stood in front of him.

“Dad?” his question was a soft whisper of disbelief.

The spirit of King Regis nodded, fixing his blue-gray eyes on his son.

“Noctis. What’s done is done. Lunafreya has fulfilled her calling. It is her time; she has passed the Oracle’s power to you.”

Tears of desperation, of heartbreak, formed in Noctis’ eyes. Luna was dying. His father was here, and without having had a proper chance to mourn him, it was all too much for the King, his emotions overflowing.

“You are now the King of Lucis. You are the one destined to restore light to the world,” Regis continued. His son shook his head, bowing his face when he lost the fight against his tears.

“No. No, please. Dad…” he said brokenly through gritted teeth. “I need to save her. Please, give me a way to save her. If Luna gave me her powers, can’t I do the same for her? Can’t I…can’t I save her?”

Regis’ spirit studied him for a moment. Exhaustion and desperation were written all over Noctis’ face, heartbreak evident in his eyes.

“Luna is at Etro’s Gate. She is about to pass,” the late King murmured quietly. “Noctis, to bring back a life at death’s door, a life must be given. Both you and Luna are tied together through the powers given to you. You must know the consequences. Her calling as Oracle was to help you attain the blessing of the gods to save this world. You are the true King of Light, tasked now to bring the world out of the darkness that is fast approaching. She gave her life so you could fulfill that destiny. Insomnia fell for you to achieve that.”

At those words, Noctis’ head snapped up, his heart racing. “What…what do you mean?” he asked slowly, forcing the question out and dreading the answer. Regis’ face showed no flicker of emotion.

“Lunafreya knew that communing with the gods would drain her life away. She was there in the Crown City during the signing of the peace treaty. Insomnia was handed over to Niflheim so you would be able to come to Altissia after claiming the power of the Kings.”

Noctis’ heart stopped, his stomach dropping as he realized the truth. “So many…” he forced his voice to work through the sick feeling in his stomach, the lump in his throat. “So many people in Insomnia, all of them died, tortured, taken to Niflheim…even you…just to make way for me.” His voice was a soft whisper at the end. In the face of the truth, the helpless guilt that washed over him the past twelve years threatened to pull him under, to drown him in its raging currents.

His father didn’t speak as he broke down, holding onto Luna like a lifeline. What his father told him he had already known, but to hear it from his own mouth made the truth a painful reality. Cor’s words from the Tomb of the Wise rang in his mind.

_“How long will you remain the protected? The King entrusted the role of protector to you.”_

“I had faith in you,” Regis finally said after a moment. When Noctis looked up, he could see resignation in his father’s eyes, and for the first time since the fight with Leviathan, he heaved a sigh of relief. The King gently put a hand on Luna’s cheek, brushing her bangs back softly. He relished the feeling of her skin, of holding her at last; his blue eyes committed her to everlasting memory.

“Have faith in her,” Noctis murmured. Another moment passed before he turned his gaze back to his father. “Cor told me that the Power of Kings is passed through the bonding of souls. How do I…”

“Your souls are already bound.” Regis interrupted gently. “The first day you met in Tenebrae.”

To say he was stunned was an understatement. How could he forget that the first thing he remembered clearly after the incident with the Naga, besides his father’s voice, was Luna looming over his bed? He had been taken straight there from the wreckage, where Queen Sylva healed him using her Oracle’s powers.

“Luna was with her mother, an Oracle-in-training, when she healed you. You share the same soul; the gods have ordained it so.”

How many times over did Noctis owe her his life? His father breathed in deeply, looking kindly at him.

“Noctis, if you give her the Power of Kings, if you give her back her powers and bring her back to this world, you need to know the consequences. You will take her place, and you will die. She will inherit the throne, the first Queen ever to rule with the power of the Lucii. She will also inherit your destiny. You bring her back only to make her walk another difficult path.”

He almost hesitated. Almost. Tucking her bangs behind her ear, Noctis gripped her hand tightly. “She deserves to live,” he told his father’s spirit before looking back down at her. “She was ready to die to help me fulfill my destiny. I need to…she deserves more. She deserves better. Luna has saved me so many times, it’s my turn to save her.”

There was no changing his mind now. Regis nodded, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Noctis.”

With watery blue eyes, the King nodded, looking back at the face of his beloved and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I walked tall,” he breathed, knowing his father could hear him. More crystal shards gathered in the air as more spirits- the Queens of Tenebrae, the Oracles of the line of Fleuret- joined the Kings of the Lucii, standing ready.

“Walk tall, Luna,” Noctis said in a soft whisper. With one last glance at her, he looked at the spirits around him, gathering his power.

“Kings of Lucis, come to me!”

All at once, all the spirits summoned disappeared in a flash of bright light and shot through Noctis, illuminating his body. It didn’t hurt much; it felt like he was merely adding another weapon of the Kings into his arsenal before a searing pain burst forth, tearing a scream from his lungs. Then, it was over. Dimly, Noctis heard Leviathan’s roar somewhere in the distance, the waters of Altissia raging. His blurry vision offered no clues of anything happening around him, save for Gentiana’s face coming into view. She gently put a hand on his forehead.

“Rest now, King of Lucis,” she said, and Noctis was only aware of Luna’s fingers threaded through his as he gave way to darkness.


	3. Deep Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Already she realized, surrounded by the dancing purple and white petals, that this was a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that last chapter was a whammy. This chapter was pretty fun to write, pulling dialogue and ideas from canon. I would strongly suggest listening to the track "Luna" (extended so it'll last the whole time :)) while reading this! This is also the last chapter in a long while that I'll pull directly from the game. Thank you all so much for your continued support; each comment and kudos left is incredibly encouraging, and I'll do my best to not disappoint :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

Something was tickling her nose. Luna desperately wanted to sneeze, but the sudden awareness of the heavy weight on her head, a sure sign of a headache, distracted her. Groaning, she forced her eyes open to see what, exactly, happened after she lost consciousness in Altissia when a very familiar sight greeted her.

The sylleblossoms of Tenebrae, the ones on the hill outside of her family’s manor, swayed in the breeze amidst a blue-gray background, the mist too thick to see the sky. Already she realized, surrounded by the dancing purple and white petals, that this was a dream. Luna looked down to see herself clad in the dress she had worn so often as a child, the one with white ruffles at the bottom. She reached up and touched her hair, noting that it was short and hung down just past her shoulders instead of up in the braided ponytail she usually wore it in. Regressed back to childhood, then. What were the gods trying to tell her this time?

“Luna.”

She never imagined as she began her journey, knowing that her decision sealed her fate, that she would ever hear that voice again, the one voice she so desperately wanted to hear over the twelve long years. The mist in front of her parted to reveal Noctis, all grown up, smiling at her like he did listening to her speech in Altissia.

“Noctis?” she asked, her voice a higher pitch of a child. He grinned a little wider then, putting his hands behind his back.

“I’m so glad to see you, Luna. It’s been…too long,” he said, slowly walking to the other side of her. Luna’s brows scrunched in confusion.

“I’m really happy to see you too, Noctis. But…what’s happening? I know this is a dream. What’s going on?”

Instead of replying right away, he stopped walking, looking at the ground instead of looking up at her. The answer he gave, however, knocked the wind out of her.

“I know what you did.”

_What?_

“I know all of it now. Going to Lucis, carrying the Ring, asking the gods for their blessings…all on my behalf. And all the while, it was killing you.”

Luna found that she couldn’t reply; the lump in her throat wouldn’t let her speak. The King finally looked back at her then, a small smile on his face.

“You’ve saved my life so many times. You were ready to lay your life down to help me fulfill my destiny. I don’t even know,” he said, chuckling. “How many times I owe you. Back when we were still kids here,” he gestured to the hills of sylleblossoms where the two had spent so much time in Tenebrae. “And through the years we wrote in that notebook.”

Noctis crouched down to touch one of the sylleblossoms at his feet. “Do you remember the promise we made as kids?”

How could she not? That promise was the reason she held on every time opposition came her way.

“I said I would stand by you to help you restore light to the world,” Luna said softly. “And you promised you wouldn’t let me down.”

He chuckled, standing up straight. His blue eyes were so sad, so sad as he looked at her with a smile.

“I’m sorry, Luna. That I can’t keep my promise. That I won’t be able to save the world. That I’ve put an even bigger burden on your shoulders.”

_What?_

“I couldn’t…I couldn’t let you die. Not now. You deserve so much more.”

The wind picked up, the ruffles on Luna’s skirt dancing for a moment before billowing into long chiffon, her hair growing out over her shoulders, swaying in time with the wind.

“Noctis?” She heard her own voice, now an adult’s, say, dreading the reply he would give her.

“The Kings of Lucis and the Oracles have answered my call. You’re going to be okay, Luna.”

She swallowed past the lump in her throat, willing her tears back and asking he one question she already knew the answer to.

“Will you be there?”

Noctis reached a hand out toward her as if to touch her face, but he just held it there for a moment before putting it back down.

“All I…” he hesitated. “All I wanted was to save you.”

Luna’s tears overflowed then, her heart shattering. All around them, the sylleblossoms began to blur together and becoming long tendrils of black and purple, the mist rising to meet the waters above them; the sun’s rays refracting light in the water surrounded them with a blue glow.

“It’s not right,” she choked out, not caring that she sounded so childish, so naïve. Damn the world, damn the gods. She was only too willing to lay down her life for them, but to have Noctis take her place before his time was not something she was prepared to face.

His sad smile answered her. “I’ll always watch over you, Luna,” he finally said. The wisps reached him now, pooling around his feet. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you when you needed me. But this is the one time I can save you.”

The waters danced around them, and as his words sunk in, Luna lunged forward, trying to reach him before it was too late, but fate had never been kind. An invisible wall separated them as she surrendered to her sobs, pounding her fists against it, Noctis just out of reach.

“ _Noctis_!” she called, slumping against the wall and sliding down to the ground when her legs gave way under her, tears pouring from her eyes. And then he was on the other side of the wall, hands pressed up against it. His left hand was where her face rested, tears also in his eyes. The mist was closer than ever now, about to envelope him. She put her right hand against the wall where it met his, earning a small smile from him. He gestured to his other hand, opening his fist and looked at hers. Through her tears, Luna slowly uncurled her left fist to see the Ring of the Lucii nestled in there, sobs increasing as she looked back at Noctis. There were still words she had to say before their time was up, a ticking sound that was getting louder and louder.

“Noctis,” she choked out. “I was so ready to marry you, to stand by your side. Gods, what I wouldn’t have given to even just see you again. I…” her tears overcame her, stopping her words. Her fiancé laughed softly.

“And I was so scared to face my feelings. I couldn’t ever tell you in that notebook. You’re going to be a great Queen, you know,” Noctis said, smiling through his tears. “You can save the world. You’re so brave and so strong, and I wish I had the nerve to tell you this earlier, but I love you, Luna. Thank you. For everything.”

The black mist surrounded him now, pulling him away from the wall. Luna cried out, frantically looking for a way to hold on to Noctis, but he was sinking too quickly into the mist of their childhood promises and lost dreams as the waters around her receded, and then there was only light.


	4. Reign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am the Queen. Long may I reign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH!! I originally wasn't going to post until AFTER I got back from DC on Wednesday or Tuesday, but I finished this chapter MUCH earlier than I anticipated, and wanted to give y'all an early Christmas present before I headed out :) I hope y'all have a great Christmas with loved ones, lots of food, and good fanfics! Also, thank you guys for all the subscribes, bookmarks, kudos, and comments. They all feel like Christmas presents to me, and they're super encouraging. Thank you guys for your continued support :)
> 
> SPOILER ALERT! If you have not played past chapter 12, there WILL be spoilers!! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

A heavy weight on Luna’s stomach drew her out of the light as she opened her eyes, and the rest of the room came into focus. She recognized it as the room that she had been given upon her arrival in Altissia; the daylight pouring through the blinds bathed the room in an afternoon glow, and for a blissful moment, she wanted to stretch out lazily in the bed and relish in this _very_ rare off day that she hadn’t had since she was a child. All of that came crashing down like a tidal wave when she looked down at her stomach and saw Pryna on top, trying to get her attention as Luna’s memories rushed back to her and rendered her breathless.

“Pryna,” she greeted hurriedly, throwing the covers back as soon as her faithful companion got off. “We must get...to Noctis…” she trailed off as she noticed too late the intruder in her room. A lanky blond man sat in one of the armchairs surrounding the coffee table a few feet away, standing and hastily bowing when he noticed her gaze.

“Lady Lunafreya,” he started. “It’s so great to finally meet you in person.”

Luna knew immediately who it was.

“Prompto?” she ventured. Prompto’s mouth snapped shut as he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

“I’ll go tell Iggy and Gladio you’re awake,” he said politely, bowing again before turning towards the door. Panicking, Luna raised her hand, that one simple action invoking an avalanche of sickening memories created only moments before.

“Wait!” the Oracle called out, stopping the blond in his tracks. Curious, Prompto looked back at her. Luna pulled her hand back to her chest, pausing for a moment before her steel-like determination to know the truth forced the words out of her mouth. “Noctis…I need to know…”

His reaction to the name was answer enough. Prompto’s blue eyes widened in surprise, instantaneous tears springing forth; he lowered his head, but the soft pitter-patter onto the carpet of the silent room spoke volumes. The Crownsguard shook his head once, bowed, and quickly exited the room. Luna found that she couldn’t breathe, her vision becoming blurry. She registered Pryna jumping back onto the bed next to her; her ever-faithful companion laid her head down on her lap, and when the Oracle began to stroke her soft white fur, the tears came, no less real than those she had already shed, but much more tangible. The crippling pain of Noctis being torn from her increased tenfold in the waking world, and as she felt the cold touch of metal in her fisted left hand, so did the realization and the weight of her new destiny.

* * *

 It wasn’t fifteen minutes after Prompto returned to his friends that Lunafreya walked into the room, Pryna trotting next to her. The Oracle’s eyes were still wet, but the stubborn set of her jaw was unmistakable. She would let no more tears fall today.

In front of her, Ignis sat in a red armchair facing the opposite wall, Gladiolus in the chair next to him, looking in front of him to her left. Prompto half-sat on the windowsill, looking out to the half-destroyed city. At her entrance, all three men stood up and bowed respectfully before she could stop them.

“Lady Lunafreya,” Gladio said in his deep baritone, the other two remaining silent.

“Please,” Luna replied quickly. “There is no need for formalities.”

The Crownsguard took her cue and straightened; her hand flew to her mouth in shock when she finally got a good look at their faces. “Ignis!” she gasped.

He looked so different from the pictures Noctis had stuck in their notebook alongside his messages. The King’s advisor retained his angular face, sharp chin, and light brown hair over the years, but the green eyes that had been so prominent in his photos were hidden by dark shades. A large scar covered the left side of his face, right over his eye. Luna was a hundred percent sure that his vision was either severely impaired or that he was completely blind, her heart hurting for his pain.

“A small sacrifice in the greater battle,” Ignis said stiffly, waving off her concern. The air inside the room gave way to a stalwart awkwardness, heavy with grief. No one knew what to say to the other, the four of them hurting in so many ways about the same things. Taking a deep breath, Luna started to speak, her political persona taking charge of going forward with the next step, brushing aside her emotions for now.

“I’m so sorry,” she began, her hands finding each other and lacing her fingers together, her head bowed. “About Noctis.” Luna could barely keep the tears at bay, her voice from breaking when she said his name, but she grasped at her determination with both hands and refused to let go. Her right hand came up to take hold of her necklace, left arm around her stomach as she looked up. Each man was on the verge of tears again, she could tell, when they listened to her words. “It was not his fate to pass here. It was mine.”

Ignoring the shocked gazes of the three in front of her, she pressed on. “The fate of the Oracle had already been written. My communion with the gods was taking my life, but I would fulfill my calling to stand by the King, as I had promised. I gave my power, the power of the Oracle, to Noctis, that he might attain the blessing of Leviathan.”

Here, Luna paused, unsure of what to say, of how to explain the events that had transpired after. Her worries were assuaged, however, at Gentiana’s entrance into the room.

“The King, in a fit of desperation, sought for a way to bring back the Oracle,” the black-haired woman continued in her accented voice, her eyes closed as she walked closer to them. “The balance of the world must be kept. A bargain was struck to reverse the powers and pass it back to the Oracle.”

“But that’s never happened before,” Ignis spoke suddenly, unable to help his outburst. “History has shown that if there ever were to be a transfer of powers, it is always from the Oracle to the King. Although…there has never been a transfer of this magnitude. The Astrals have ordained the separation of powers since the ancient times of the first Starscourge.”

Gentiana nodded her head, eyes still closed, a small smile playing on her lips. “Your knowledge serves you well, Ignis Stupeo Scientia.”

No one ever addressed him by his full name. Ignis only nodded in response.

“But you said the balance of the world must be kept,” Gladio said slowly. “That means…”

“Yes,” she answered his question, opening her eyes to see his face crumble. “The bargain was struck that the King would take the Oracle’s place.”

There was a silence as the three Crownsguard took in the information, too shocked and too heartbroken for words. Luna’s grip on her pendant tightened. Gentiana then turned to her, her green eyes closed once more.

“With his life, the King also passed onto you the Power of Kings, the magic of the line of Lucis, and his destiny. Oracle, you are now the Queen of Lucis, tasked with restoring the light to Eos. Will you continue to walk this path?”

The blonde woman firmly nodded her head. “I will.” She took a deep breath before releasing her necklace, showing the crescent moon pendant strung with the Ring of the Lucii next to it. An idea had occurred to her when she was in her room with Pryna relieving the vision she had with Noctis, an idea that became more concrete with each passing minute. Luna boldly tilted her chin up, her very presence commanding respect.

“From this day forth, I will no longer be Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. My name is Lunafreya Nox Caelum, Queen of Lucis, Oracle of Tenebrae, and I _will_ restore light to this darkening world.”

_And for you, Noctis. You have my love always, and I will do my duty both as queen and your fiancé. May I be able to add even just a little light to yours amidst your night sky._

After her bold declaration, Gentiana bowed respectfully. It almost made Luna smile, knowing that she had the woman’s full support. The rustling of clothes tore her attention away, however, to the three standing in front of her. Gladio leaned forward, his upper body parallel to the ground before straightening. Luna could see the trace of a grin on his face.

“I, Gladiolus Amicitia, the Sworn Shield of the King of Lucis, do pledge my services to you, Lunafreya Nox Caelum, Queen of Lucis,” he said, repeating the vow he had made to both King Regis and Noctis when he officially assumed the position after his father. The man reassured Luna now with a small, sad smile. “Noct would have wanted it this way.”

Prompto was quick to follow his friend, dipping his head respectfully as well. “Yeah! We’ll stand by you, you know, like we did for Noct. I mean, I guess it’ll be a little different since he was our best friend and he-“ Gladio shot him a look to stop his rambling, making the blond clear his throat. “I mean, we will fight with you,” he said, unusually formal. The smile he had betrayed his stiff tone. “As Crownsguard and as your friends.”

The two of them looked to Ignis, who didn’t miss a beat. “We will stand with you,” he said, echoing Prompto’s words. His words, however, were short and curt; Luna frowned, recognizing the deep hurt he was trying to hide behind his courtesy. She bowed again, her hands clasped together in front of her.

“I thank you all,” she replied. “I know that I will undoubtedly require your guidance and training. You honor me with your help, your friendship, and most of all, your loyalty to Noctis.”

“And so it shall be,” Gentiana spoke from beside Luna. “Go forth now, the Queen and her glaives, with the blessings of the gods.” She turned to face the blonde woman. “As promised to the Oracle-“ she said, holding out her arms as crystal shards formed in the air and a gust of cold wind blew into the room, ice and frost appearing on every surface; Gentiana’s body transformed from her traditional black kimono dress and knee-high black heels, growing smaller and smaller until a pixie-like creature appeared. “-It is time.”

“That’s...she’s…” Gladio couldn’t finish his thought, his mouth open in awe. Luna smiled.

“Gentiana is an incarnation of Shiva,” she explained gently.

The Astral, her ever-watchful guardian, flew over to her and handed her a beautiful tiara, crafted from sparkling diamond. The Oracle took it into her hands, marveled at the lightness of it, and bowed deeply, Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis following suit.

Luna understood what this meant. This moment was her coronation, the respite of a ruler of Lucis before their ascension. As she accepted the crown, she also accepted her destiny.


	5. The Calling of Powers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a dull sense of horror, Luna knew, after watching both Nyx and Noctis fight, that she had just performed a rather inefficient warp strike. As if things could get any worse, the spiracorn noticed her. The animal reared on its hind legs again, ready to resume its attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone!! I hope you guys had a fantastic holiday weekend :)
> 
> And after seven hours of being stuck in traffic because of some idiots who got into accidents (a drive that was supposed to last four and a half; I spent an extra two and a half hours on the road lemme tell ya), I'm home! Most of this chapter was written this weekend; the ending was completed after I got back. It was difficult fine-tuning the fight and the ending, and I rewrote it a few times before I was satisfied with how I wanted to say what I wanted to say. I hope you guys enjoy! Thank you guys for the comments and kudos and subscribes; I really appreciate it :) LONGEST CHAPTER YET! WOOHOO!
> 
> If I don't see you guys before the new year, I hope everyone rings in 2017 with a blast and new hopes and dreams for the next 365 days!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV.

The Regalia purred, engine running smoothly as Prompto navigated his way from Cape Caem back to Hammerhead. Cid had given Gladio a call as the group was preparing to leave Altissia to board the train for Cartanica, saying that he had something important to give to them, and that Cindy had something special she wanted to install on the car. Despite the _very_ long detour they would have to take to be back on track for their journey, it was decided after a lengthy phone call from Gladio to Cor explaining the situation at hand and the marshal remarking that Cid wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t something important; the group packed, and headed back to Lucis.

Cor had received the news of Noctis’ passing with only a moment of stunned silence before planning out the next step with Gladio. He told them that he had business to attend to in Lestallum, and for them to meet him in the city once they were finished at the garage. If he sounded gruffer than usual, if his voice had wavered in the slightest, the Shield wisely chose to not bring it up in their conversation.

The breathtaking Lucian landscape flew by, the clear wind rushing past their faces with the Regalia’s hood down. In the car, music was playing, and Prompto attempted to talk to and make jokes with everyone, but they fell flat when silence ensued just a moment after every comment. Luna appreciated it, she really did; for a while, she kept up small talk with him and Gladio, but Ignis didn’t speak, and then not long after, they ran out of things to say. An uncomfortable atmosphere settled among them now that there was nothing to do but wait for their arrival.

“ _Stop_!” Gladio suddenly roared, making Luna, Ignis, and Prompto all jump in their seats with the latter flooring the brake and causing the car to skid, the tires burning tread marks on the asphalt. Before anyone could get a word in, the big man had already jumped out of the Regalia over the side, running up the side of the road to where a woman was screaming, moving as fast as she could while holding the hand of a young child. A herd of angry spiracorns were quickly gaining on them, and Prompto yelled out the situation to Ignis before following in Gladio’s footsteps.

Luna didn’t hesitate; she couldn’t stand by and not do anything. She was grateful for the new clothes she bought while in Altissia, allowing for more freedom of movement than her usual white dresses and heels. She had donned the traditional Lucian black with her black combat boots, black shorts that reached mid-thigh, and black hooded jacket that had slits at the end of the sleeves for her thumbs. Her top, however, had stayed consistent with her own wardrobe; she picked a white tank top with thick lace straps that resembled the short-sleeved dress she so loved to wear. She also kept her hair tied up in her neat braid and ponytail, ready for anything to be thrown at her.

The blonde quickly opened her car door, slamming it shut behind her and, ignoring the shouts of protest from Ignis, took off toward the other two men who had already started their attack. Luna summoned her trident like she usually did, then stopped just a few feet away, a cold chill crawling down her back when she realized she had no plan of action. Unfortunately, one of the spiracorns saw her at the periphery of the battle. It began to charge toward her, its sharp horn pointed down. Gritting her teeth, she ran toward the creature, knocking aside the horn with her weapon and stabbed it on the side of its neck. The spiracorn reared up, neighing in anger as circled around the area and tore toward her again. She let her combat training from too long ago take over, hoping that she still retained some sort of muscle memory after all the years she hadn’t trained. Luna needed to do something; she needed to attack, but her trident wasn’t a long-ranged weapon, and she was standing too far away-

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Luna felt her body being pulled forward, a blue glow surrounding her before suddenly, she was quite literally teleported from her spot to _right in front_ of the charging animal, smacking into its side with her body. Her trident had been pointed up toward the sky, and hadn’t caused any damage to the creature standing not one foot away. With a dull sense of horror, Luna knew, after watching both Nyx and Noctis fight, that she had just performed a rather inefficient warp strike. As if things could get any worse, _the spiracorn noticed her._ The animal reared on its hind legs again, ready to resume its attack.

Luna was way out of her depth; her trident was too long and inefficient to use at this angle for both offense and defense, and she had nowhere to run to give herself more space. She needed a sword.

The Oracle didn’t learn her lesson the first time around as her trident disappeared, and a short sword she _knew_ was not hers appeared in its place.

_What._

“Lady Lunafreya!” Gladio yelled, rushing to her side. He swung his broadsword at the spiracorn as its legs were in the air, effectively cutting them off. Blood spurted out, most of it blocked by his sword, some getting onto the Shield as he stood in front of her. Two gunshots rang out, and the animal collapsed onto its side. Luna looked to see the other spiracorns dead on the ground, and Prompto on his back, holding his gun at an angle to help them. There was a moment of silence before the mother and child walked up to thank them profusely, and then Gladio turned to the Queen.

“We’ll reach Hammerhead by sundown tomorrow,” he said quietly. His index finger extended to the north. “There’s a haven nearby here where we can set up camp for the night.”

“But there’s still some hours before nightfall,” Luna replied, confused.

The bodyguard almost smiled. “How do you feel about some combat training?”

* * *

The evening heat was unreasonably hot. Strands of blonde hair stuck to Luna’s face, her breathing rapid as she attempted to keep pace with Gladio, who was currently circling her with his greatsword propped on her right shoulder. As he rushed toward her, sword mid-swing, the blonde raised her trident, and, with an effort that left her arms shaking, deflected the hit when she twisted her body out of the way.

“Yeah, Luna!” Prompto cheered from the sidelines. Gladio nodded.

“Good. But against a bigger enemy, which- no offense, Lady Lunafreya- is going to be most the time, you’re going to have a hard time doing anything if you’re pitting your strength against it.”

 _You don’t say_ , Luna thought, nostrils flaring both in minor annoyance and as she tried to regulate her breathing.

“But having Noct’s power gives you a huge advantage,” he continued. “A basic part of those powers allows you to phase out of an enemy’s attack, thus negating the need to physically defend yourself. However, if you phase at the wrong time, you could be wide open for an attack without another chance to phase out of it.”

Luna bit her lip, nodding and gesturing for him to keep talking.

“You have to feel for your power,” Gladio said, dismissing his sword and trying to remember everything his father had told him when he had undergone his studies of the powers of the Lucii and everything he and Noctis had gone through during the early days of the prince’s training. “And then command that power to move you at the exact moment you want it to. I saw that warp strike this afternoon,” he remarked, much to her mortification. “It looked like it was unintentional-“

She nodded stiffly, confirming his words.

“-but if you had full control over it, it would be a powerful move in your arsenal.”

Taking a deep breath, the young Queen nodded again, closing her eyes and reaching for the source of magic like she had done so many times with just her Oracle’s powers. The exercise felt familiar, calming, until she reached the well of her magic- and _recoiled_ , her blue eyes snapping open with a rugged gasp. Her Oracle’s powers were there, intact and strong as ever, but the Power of Kings was completely foreign territory, its magic not yet fully melded with her own, not yet fully accepting her as its master. The moment it helped her in battle this afternoon had purely been out of need; now that she was calling for it, it didn’t want to respond.

“Perhaps it’ll help with mastering your new powers if you meditated,” Ignis spoke up for the first time in the hour since Luna and Gladio began training. “Oracles went through hours of meditation during their training, correct?”

The blonde took a moment to brush aside her surprise. “Yes,” she replied, dismissing her trident as well. With a nod from her new bodyguard, she walked to the edge of the haven and sat cross-legged atop a rock some feet up from the ground, covered in glowing warding sigils that protected them from daemons at night. Out of earshot from the others, she pulled the hair tie out of her messy ponytail, her braid having been deemed a lost cause after the battle with the spiracorns hours ago, and let her hair drift in the wind. She faced the dying sun and closed her eyes.

“Let me help,” Prompto said as he approached Ignis, who was feeling his way around the stove when he began dinner. The brunette replied with a short ‘thank you’ before looking in Gladio’s general direction. Luna’s earlier speculation about his eyes wasn’t too far off; he could barely make out the faint shapes and shadows in his new grayscale world.

“How is Lady Lunafreya doing with training?” he asked the bigger man, who was stretching out his arms and back.

“She’s definitely got combat experience,” he replied. “She can do basic offensive and defensive maneuvers-“

“Except that one move where she just full-on deflected your sword,” Prompto quipped as he stirred the pot according to Ignis’ instructions. “That was way awesome.” Gladio chuckled.

“She’s determined, that’s what she is,” he observed. “There’s still a lot she has to learn, both with basic combat and with Noct’s magic. I haven’t told her about summoning Noct’s other weapons yet, that will have to wait until later. She seems adept enough with her trident to keep herself alive in small fights. I haven’t told her how we linked our attacks together either.”

_I don’t know if I ever will._

“Yeah,” the blonde agreed, nodding. “Something tells me she’s never had experience fighting with friends before.”

Gladio didn’t bother voicing his previous thought. Instead, he just sighed, frowning. “I don’t think she’s ever had the chance to.”

Ignis said nothing as he took over the cooking.

* * *

Night’s quick approach did nothing to alleviate Luna’s tension, even after Prompto brought her a bowl of saxham rice and Ignis’ famous dry-aged tender roast stew, which Noctis had raved about before in one of his messages. It was every bit as delicious as he had described the brunette’s cooking to be, and she again felt tears prick her eyes at the fond memory. She shook her head, blinking them away. She needed to focus.

Once again, Luna closed her eyes, breathing in through her nose and out of her mouth, and reached out with her magic. It hesitantly approached the new power just sitting dormant inside, running along its shape, trying to figure it out.

_What are you?_

Noctis’ power refused to budge. Frustrated, Luna pushed her magic further, both asking and demanding entrance that the other rejected and repelled. The tug-of-war continued well into the night even after Gladio informed her they had a separate tent set up for her use, and the others had gone to bed. She tried everything that she had learned in meditation as an Oracle- poking and prodding at the power, calling out to it, staying still and letting it come to her, and still nothing hours later.

Luna bit her lip, exhausted as she fell backwards from her sitting position onto the rock behind her, laying on her back and looking at the stars and the smoke of the remnants of the campfire. What if she can’t access the Power of Kings because she didn’t have Lucian blood? What if this meant that she wasn’t _truly_ meant to take the throne and be Queen, no matter what Noctis and Gentiana- Shiva- said? What if this was like the Ring of the Lucii, telling her that she wasn’t worthy?

More importantly, what if this meant that she couldn’t truly restore light to the world? She couldn’t fail. Everyone was counting on her; the world could not drown in darkness. She would not allow that to happen, even with only her Oracle’s powers. But how long would she be able to keep the darkness at bay? No, Eos needed the true light, the guarantee of the sun rising every morning and lasting until natural nightfall. Noctis believed in her. She had the blessing of the Astrals, through the heavy prices of prayer, life, and death. Luna could not afford to fail.

Her blue eyes focused on the bright stars above, their lights and constellations made brighter by the lack of moonlight- it was a new moon. Though she had never been as adept as Noctis in spotting the shapes in the sky, Luna tried her best to remember those he had pointed out for her when they were only children in Tenebrae, lying out in the fields of sylleblossoms at night. She could see the hunter and the lion, the dipper as it made its way across the sky. If she concentrated really hard, she could hear his young, innocent voice, telling her which group of stars made up which constellation. She could hear the excitement in his tone as he shared his world with her, with Umbra and Pryna lying next to them protectively.

The thought of her two dogs made her heart ache. Pryna had whined as soon as she, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto left the President’s manor in Altissia, telling Luna she needed to go. Luna, kneeling and running her hand through Pryna’s white fur for the last time in a while, knew that she needed to find Umbra. Looking at the stars, she prayed that she would see both of them again soon.

Breath by breath, the Oracle pulled in her thoughts, each easier to hold than the last, until her mind was blank as she marveled at the sky above. The vastness of the universe seemed to swallow her, leaving her feeling infinitesimally small in its wake. It was then that Luna felt a gentle tug at her magic, and she fought down her surprise to not scare it away. The Power of Kings was calling, and the realization caused a sudden tear to roll down her cheek, knowing exactly why it was reaching out to her now.

Noctis hadn’t had the time to get to know this power, hadn’t had the chance to bond with it from an objective stance like she did- it was born into him, it was his destiny. He never had to think about it, never had to sit down and make his power his ally. As Luna’s magic coaxed the power out, even just a little before it drew back into its shell, she knew that it felt the loneliness she felt. The burden of the King was his alone to bear, given to her. The Power of Kings was a kindred soul, she realized; it was a lonely power, and Luna knew that it was that loneliness that set aside the King to be its Chosen, to walk a road none other could. This great power, given to one alone, demanded the ultimate sacrifice of loneliness.

She began to laugh as the tears came streaming down the sides of her eyes, matting her hair uncomfortably to the side of her temples, laughing until her stomach hurt from the constant heaves, laughing until her back hurt from arching against the stone beneath her. Luna laughed and laughed, crying harder and harder. She didn’t bother wiping her tears away, didn’t bother fixing her hair; she just sniffled as the cold night air settled against her before she dragged herself inside her tent and collapsed into what used to be Noctis’ sleeping bag, out of tears to cry even as her heart broke all over again for the thousandth time that night.


	6. Lestallum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn’t until this moment that he realized how much the war had taken from them- their home, their family, their King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope everyone rang in the new year with new resolutions, hopes, and dreams for the next 365 days :)
> 
> It feels like it's been a really long time since I updated when in reality, it's only been a week...to make up for that, here's a super long chapter! I was surprised at how long this turned out; I had another few scenes planned that I wanted to put in, but it ended up being over 3,000 words, so I had to cut it off. Here's to the first chapter of 2017! Thank you guys again for the kudos, comments long and short, subscribes, bookmarks, and support :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

Prompto yawned, leaning back in his seat and putting his hands behind his head. En route to Hammerhead, Gladio received a call from Cor, telling them to meet him in Lestallum- the marshal would accompany them to Leide. As such, the four of them found themselves on an extended road trip with the Shield and the gunner switching off the wheel every couple of hours. Ignis and Luna sat in the back, neither speaking with the former sitting ramrod straight in his seat, staring forward, and the later looking out at the landscape. Save for talk between Prompto and Gladio and the most basic answers from the other two, the trip was silent, awkwardness lessened only slightly by the music.

The blond sighed, catching sight of a pond some distance off the side of the road with its waters reflecting sunlight into his eyes. On instinct, his face lit up, and a grin stretched across his lips, his mouth opening to say, ‘ _Hey Noct_ ’ when he whipped his head to look at the seat behind him before reality came crashing down like an avalanche at the sight of blond hair and a black hoodie looking pensively into the distance. Luna questioningly shifted her gaze to him then and Prompto wanted _so_ badly to explain, but he couldn’t choke the words out; his stomach was weighed down by a boulder, and his eyes were pricked with fresh tears. He vigorously rubbed at them, feigning sleepiness, refusing to let them fall.

He didn’t notice the Queen’s sad, knowing gaze looking at him in the side mirror.

* * *

 The last time she was in the area, she was on her way to meet Titan at the Disc of Cauthess, and had no time to go sightseeing. Lestallum was no Insomnia and definitely didn’t rank with Altissia, but the big city and fantastic view awed Luna nonetheless. The group managed to arrive without incident, and when Gladio backed into the parking space at the outlook, the young Oracle wanted to jump out of the car in her excitement to see the view. It was a refreshing break from the stiffness in the car and the heavy, unspoken grief that hung around them.

“Wow,” she breathed, taking in the scenery. The events at the Disc of Cauthess weren’t part of her favorite memories, but Titan was, by far, one of the easier Astrals to deal with. Luna heard a soft click behind her, and she turned to see Prompto, holding up a camera and smiling sheepishly.

“Not sure if, um, Noct told you, but I’m a photographer. Love taking pictures. I hope you don’t mind, Lady Lunafreya,” he said rather quickly. Luna shook her head, fighting to small urge to roll her eyes.

“Please, just Luna. Yes, Noctis mentioned that detail; he said you would bring a camera everywhere you go.”

Prompto couldn’t hold back his grin despite the ache pulsing in his chest. Talking about Noctis was both therapeutic and painful, and it reminded him yet again of just how much he missed his best friend. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, a flying tackle out of nowhere stopped him; the blond almost choked on a headful of black hair before he registered slim arms wrapped around him, and a girl’s twinkling giggle.

“Iris!” he laughed, recognizing her voice. He tried his best to avoid catching her hair in his mouth. The younger Amicitia stepped back, putting her hands behind her back. She didn’t look any different since the last time they saw her at Cape Caem; she still had the same pixie cut she’s worn since she was a kid, still the same leather choker, the same black and red hooded shirt, the same plaid skirt with the same two belts, the same black boots. The smile that was usually on her face, however, was shadowed; there were noticeable bags under her eyes. Prompto didn’t have to ask. Instead, he looked toward The Leville. “Are the others-“

“Oh, yeah, Gladdy and Ignis are at the hotel with Cor. They said I should come look for you,” Iris spoke quickly, cutting him off before looking behind him to where Luna was standing. The girl hastily curtsied, a flush coloring her cheeks.

“Lady Lunafreya! I’m so sorry, I didn’t recognize you. I mean no disrespect.”

The Oracle looked down at herself- her new outfit already made it difficult enough for anyone to recognize her at first glance, but with her hair down, her black hoodie wrinkled, and her white top mussed and in need of a wash, it was surprising Iris recognized her at all.

“Please,” Luna murmured, clasping her hands together in front of her and repeating the words she said to Prompto. “Just Luna.”

“I’m Gladdy’s sister. Iris Amicitia at your service, my lady,” Iris said respectfully. Her years at court with her family ingrained the formal habits into her, no matter how much she hated the rigidity of them.

The blonde smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Iris. Noctis told me about you.”

She almost wished she hadn’t said that last sentence out loud. As fast as lightning, Iris froze before she shoved a mask of a smile over her face, her eyes betraying every emotion that twisted the knife of guilt deeper into Luna’s gut. As a politician, she could very clearly see the grief written all over the girl. A sideways glance at Prompto, who was quiet throughout the whole exchange, showed that his eyes were cast downward, head hung low. Iris cleared her throat.

“We should head back to The Leville,” she suggested as she turned back to the city proper. “The others are waiting for us. I think Cor wants to speak with you.”

* * *

 Iris led them up the steps to one of the suites on the second floor, knocking twice on the door before pushing it open. Gladio sat on the bed, elbows on his thighs and speaking to Ignis in the armchair next to him. Cor was leaning against the wall to their right, and he straightened immediately upon their entrance.

“Lady Lunafreya. Prompto,” he acknowledged as the younger Amicitia shut the door. “Thank you, Iris.”

She nodded, hopping onto the bed next to her brother where she sat cross-legged. Prompto stood beside Ignis, leaving Luna in front of Cor.

There it was again- the prick of loneliness she felt last night before she shoved it aside to focus on the matter at hand.

“Marshal,” Luna said, dipping her head respectfully.

Cor didn’t waste any time. “Gladio told me what happened. He said you were given the Power of Kings, thus claiming the throne, and that you attained the Astrals’ blessings, correct?”

“Yes,” she replied as she nodded. “As Oracle, they heeded my prayers. They have given their blessings to the Chosen King of the line of Lucis, thereby given to me by the true King. As Queen, I will do my duty to restore the light with the affirmation of the gods, and with the Power of Kings.”

His gaze never wavered. “And your next steps?”

“We have received word on our way back to Lucis of a last royal arm in the Fallgrove- Costlemark Tower, the weapon that had been moved from another tomb. After going to Hammerhead, we will retrieve that weapon, and then we’ll make our way to Cartanica to find the tomb there.”

The four of them had discussed this plan briefly when they crossed the ocean back into Lucian territory after receiving a mysterious note containing the information. Of course, the term ‘discussed’ was used loosely; it was mainly Gladio and Ignis talking about it, and since Luna didn’t see anything wrong with the plan, she kept quiet and deferred to their judgment.

Cor turned to look at Ignis. “Now would be the perfect time to stock up on curatives and gear, Ignis, Gladio. We will stay here tonight and head out to Leide tomorrow. That will give us ample time to regroup.”

The two Crownsguard nodded.

“Gladio also mentioned to me that you went through combat training earlier,” he said to Luna.

“Yes.”

There was a glint in his eyes.

“Show me.”

* * *

 It was decided that Iris would help Ignis with supplies, and so Prompto and Gladio accompanied Cor and Luna as they drove to the outskirts of Lestallum, stopping at the Alkyrie Haven nearby.

The Crownsguard stood to the side, the marshal and Queen walking opposite of each other. Luna tied her hair back into a messy ponytail and shoved her jacket sleeves up to her elbows.

“Summon your weapon,” Cor instructed, his katana appearing in his hand. Immediately, Luna had her trident grasped in her right. Before she got into her battle stance, he stopped her.

“Another weapon.”

The confusion must have shown on her face.

“A part of the power you now have allows you to store your weapons, like you do your trident, and call them whenever you need them in battle. From what Gladio told me, you can subconsciously access this. Now, I need you to intentionally call to it. Know what weapons you possess. Reach out with your power.”

Back to meditation, then. Luna closed her eyes and reached for the new kind of loneliness she had gotten to know last night, much different form the loneliness she had experienced in her twelve years of captivity. The Power of Kings stirred; not much, but she was making progress. Gently, she coaxed it out a little bit more until a burst of light came forth, and then phantom weapons appeared in front of her.

There were _so many_. How in the world…Luna shook her head. She would fit the pieces together later.

“Pick up the sword in front of you,” Cor said.

Hesitantly, the blonde reached out for the sword hilt, stopping a gasp of surprise and when it materialized in her hand. The blade was bronze with a silver edge, intricate markings up and down the steel.

“Durandal,” Gladio murmured quietly, just enough so that Luna could hear him. “This blade works particularly well against daemons since its elemental affinity is light magic.”

“Now,” the marshal raised his katana. “Are you ready?”

Luna felt the weight of the sword in her hand and swung it a few times, feeling the way it cut through the air. The unbidden memory of her brother with his rapier, play fencing with her in the Tenebraean gardens, came to mind; she shelved the thought away for later. She had never had to handle a sword before, but concentrated on her childhood combat training and the exercises she ran through with Gladio yesterday to school her muscles into a stance. Her right hand, the hand gripping Durandal, raised slightly up to the side, blade pointed out toward Cor; she bent her knees and crouched to prepare for any movement, be it offensive or defensive, as her new bodyguard had taught her, and lifted her left arm in front of her, both for defense and balance.

Cor lunged at her, katana slashing horizontally from the left side to the right. Luna brought Durandal up to block the attack on her right, her feet planted firmly to give her support. The marshal stepped back then, circling around her. She knew he was sizing up her skill. He came at her again, this time slashing downward as he leapt into the air. Luna’s right foot shifted back to absorb the hit, raising her sword above her head with both hands. As soon as the blades clashed, Cor pulled his weapon away only to strike again from the side. She barely managed to dodge the attack when she dropped to her knees on instinct to roll out of the way. Standing back up, Luna didn’t have time to think as the glint of steel in the sunlight came impossibly fast…

And then she was on the opposite side of the blade, the blue magic of Noctis’ powers fading from around her. There was a surprised look on Cor’s face that she was sure mirrored hers before she felt the stir of powers from inside herself.

The magic of Lucis was calling out to her, and no matter how soft it was, she would answer it. She felt the power, though not _nearly_ complete, thrum through her body, like a ripple in a pond. Cor was quick to recover, this time dealing out a combo of slashes and strikes that Luna countered the best she could, and when she couldn’t keep up with his speed, phased out to his other side, giving her a small window to counterattack, which he would then block.

Cor Leonis was not called the Immortal for nothing.

Luna lost track of time as they sparred, each breath pushing her to be better, faster, stronger. She knew she had a lot of ground to cover, and it wasn’t just that she needed to learn to fight to hold her own, but that she needed to prove to Cor she was worthy of the throne. It didn’t matter that Noctis chose to give his powers, his destiny, and his crown to her; it didn’t matter that the Kings of Lucis and the Astrals gave her their affirmation. Luna needed to _show_ him that no matter what she said about accepting her destiny or how confident she was in carrying out her duties, she also had the conviction, the heart, and the skill to do so.

By the time he jumped back a good distance from her, her bangs were matted to her forehead with sweat, her breathing coming in rapid breaths, Durandal lowered to the ground as she let her sword arm rest. The marshal nodded, and with her newfound powers, Luna dismissed her sword to hear cheering from Prompto.

* * *

 Training didn’t stop there. After the sparring session with a sword, Cor started another with polearms, which Luna picked up in no time. Gladio tucked that tidbit of information away; the Queen was partial to polearms because of her experience with her trident. Although it went without saying, he knew that the only reason Cor insisted on continuing her training with lances was because Ignis, the polearms master, would no longer be able to monitor her progress. If evening hadn’t come so soon, he was sure that the marshal would have continued on to start training with magic.

Gladio couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Luna as the party made their way back into the city, glancing in the rearview mirror occasionally at her. She looked exhausted; Cor had drilled more training into her in just a couple of hours than most rookies that joined the Crownsguard in a day. Even Gladio’s own nightmarish training as the King’s Shield wasn’t quite this trying in only two hours. Then again, he had grown up knowing the duty he would one day accept, handling weapons of all types since youth. Luna didn’t have the luxury of starting from the bottom, especially with all this newfound power thrust upon her.

The group headed back to the suite where they found Iris and Ignis putting away the goods they had bought around the city, but Gladio didn’t have a chance to ask Ignis about them before his sister quite literally dragged him out of the room without a word, not stopping until they reached the central plaza. Knowing her temper, he didn’t try to speak until she leaned against a wall, looking out toward the food stalls and restaurants.

“What is it?” he asked carefully, her expression a cross between being angry and bursting into tears. Iris’ quiet response surprised him.

“What do you see around you?”

Gladio’s amber eyes swept over the crowds gathered in the streets; some were seated outside, eating in the restaurants, some were like them, leaning against the walls of the plaza, milling about, some were merchants and vendors, still selling their wares and food. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

“People,” he said to his sister, waiting for her to voice her thoughts.

She was silent for a moment as tears built in her dark brown eyes, leaking out and dripping down her cheeks. Gladio fought the urge to take her by the shoulders and shake her until she told him who exactly had hurt her so, knowing she would tell him in time. As difficult as it was to face, he knew that Iris wasn’t his baby sister anymore, no matter that he would always see the curious little girl that stole his heart every time he looked at her. Ever since he and the others had reunited with her last time in this very city after her escape from Insomnia, having her fight alongside them to claim one of the royal arms in the thick Myrlwood, and then leaving her on the dock at Cape Caem when they made for Altissia, she had grown and matured right before his eyes. As her older brother, he was fiercely protective of her, but she had proven time and time again that she could handle herself, even in a situation like this when her heart was shattering right in front of his eyes.

“That’s exactly it,” Iris choked out, voice cracking with every word. “These people all walk around like nothing happened, ignoring the fact that someone had _died_ just so that they could be here, doing everyday things.”

His vision became blurry in an instant; Gladio could hear his own heartbeat reverberating in his ears as it broke. Her words completely blindsided him. He hadn’t talked about Noct with anyone since Altissia. He wasn’t ready for this conversation yet.

“How can you stand it, Gladdy?” Iris asked, turning to face him. Gladio shook his head, willing the crumbling feeling in his chest away without avail. “He was your brother. And he was my best friend. How do you get through each day like this? How can you be traveling with Lady Lunafreya when all she does is remind you of him?” She couldn’t even say his name out loud. “I know that’s how it feels, because even with only spending ten minutes with her, that’s how _I_ felt!”

It didn’t matter that Luna had only mentioned Noctis once to her; her very presence meant his absence, and that in itself was enough. A few minutes passed as the two let out their tears, listening to the hustle and bustle of Lestallum’s night life, neither yet having the words to say. Iris sniffed and walked up to her brother, hugging him tightly, with Gladio doing the same.

“I already pledged my services to her,” he said quietly after a moment. His sister stepped back to look at him.

“Did he really…” she took a deep breath, struggling to ask her question. “Did he really give up his life to save her?”

In his mind’s eye, Gladio saw Noctis’ face whenever Umbra was seen trotting toward the group with the worn leather notebook in his satchel. The smile, gentle, almost shy, would last as he wrote in it and put it back, until the dog disappeared into the distance. He saw the blushes that the Prince had tried so hard to hide whenever he and the other two teased him about Lunafreya, the excitement that Noctis had when entering Altissia to see her.

“Yeah, he did,” he responded. There really wasn’t any doubt about it at all, not to him. It was exactly the type of thing Noctis would do, and Gladio knew he would do it a thousand times again if he had the choice a thousand times over.

“So Lady Lunafreya really is Queen now, huh?” Iris’ question didn’t really ask for an answer, but he nodded anyway. Another minute went by before she spoke up again.

“I really miss him. Noctis. Not just him. I really miss dad, too.”

He hadn’t expected the last two sentences, but it brought a fresh round of pain and a pang of guilt. Noct’s passing had overshadowed everything else. When Insomnia fell, the group pressed onward with no time to stop and break down, not about the taking of the Crown City or about losing both Regis and Clarus. The conversation he meant to have with Noctis about their fathers, one that would have strengthened their brotherhood even more, never happened.

It wasn’t until this moment that he realized how much the war had taken from them- their home, their family, their King. Gladio didn’t need to say anything back, not as Iris reached for his hand, and the two siblings mourned amidst the mindless city.


	7. Interlude at Hammerhead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Leide, the group takes a moment to break the news to Cid and Cindy, and for a small reprieve before setting out to claim the last Lucian royal arm in Duscae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Updates have been a little slow lately, but here's a short chapter- like it says in the summary- of a moment's respite that everyone gets before a long trek through a long dungeon (I kid you not Costlemark took me a good two hours to get through in real time...sigh. Also, the Pitioss dungeon sucks). I also took a couple of days out to write up a new FFXV/LuNoct oneshot, so if you haven't seen that yet, you are more than welcome to go check that out! There's another plot bunny that's been bouncing around my head featuring the chocobros and a Noctis who can't back down from a challenge ;) it'll be a...cute bonding moment for them, so be on the lookout for that. Thank you all for your support, and I'll see you soon with a longer, action-packed chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

“Well, howdy, y’all!” Cindy’s warm, accented voice greeted them when the Regalia pulled into the station at Hammerhead just as the sun was setting into the western horizon. Prompto was, not surprisingly, the first to jump out to talk to her. Gladio couldn’t fight the grin that broke out at the blond’s antics, Luna the same as she read all the visual cues she needed to know about the situation from Prompto’s actions and body language. Ignis and Cor were both silent at the exchange; the marshal walked in the direction of the main garage without a word.

“I’ll be! First the Prince, now Lady Lunafreya. “The mechanic swept into a short, respectful bow. “You boys are always full of surprises. It’s an honor to meet you, my Lady.”

“Just Luna,” Luna replied, briefly wondering how many times she would have to repeat that phrase. She wondered whether she should keep a tally somewhere before she forced herself to pay attention.

“Well then, Luna,” Cindy said as she winked conspiratorially; the Oracle immediately warmed up to her, a smile of appreciation forming on her lips. “Paw Paw’s been waitin’ for y’all. I can get to workin’ on the ol’ girl and tune ‘er up real nice while y’all have a chat.”

“Actually, Cindy,” Gladio spoke up, looking at his three companions briefly for confirmation; when they all quickly bowed their heads, he continued. “There’s something we need to discuss with you and Cid.”

The blonde’s eyes furrowed, but led them to where her grandfather and Cor were conversing in hushed tones. When the party approached, Cid stood, dipping the front of his cap at Luna, with Cindy quickly getting in the first word.

“Paw paw, this here is Luna,” she gestured to the Oracle, who lowered her head respectfully at the elder.

“Master Cid,” Luna started.

Cor stepped in, albeit a little rudely, knowing that the group was pressed for time. “Now that we’re all here, we need to discuss the next immediate steps. We have-“

“Where’s the Prince?” Cid’s gravelly voice sounded, cutting him off. After having known Cor so many years and traveled alongside him, he knew when the marshal was trying to avoid something, like he was doing now. Was it because Noctis’ location wasn’t relevant to the task at hand, or had something happened? The younger man was too straightforward, too stoic in his personality to give half-baked clues; no, it had to be asked out loud.

“The King…” he paused uncharacteristically, taking a deep breath. “Has passed.”

Cindy gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, green eyes wide with shock. Her grandfather, hands behind his back, only looked to the floor, shaking his head. However, like Cor, he knew they had no time to lose; the situation was more dire than he previously thought. Mourning would have to wait until later.

“That’s the end of the line of Lucis, then,” Cid sighed, fixing his cap. “Ol’ Reggie. Playin’ the losin’ hand he was dealt the best he could, and even then.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Luna couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Please, don’t despair,” she said. She wasn’t sure if she had crossed a line; Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis haven’t yet uttered a single word this whole time, and she didn’t know if it was rude to interrupt the moment. Too late to stop now, she pressed on. “Noctis- he gave me his power. I am not of Lucis, but I will do what I can to carry out his destiny.”

The old mechanic peered into her eyes then. “The Prince made you Queen, did he?” he asked gently.

Luna nodded. “I am now Lunafreya Nox Caelum, with both the powers of the Oracle and the Kings of Lucis.”

Another few minutes passed, no one daring to break the silence this time. The air was tense, vibrating with the pressure of uncertainty and heartbreak and confusion all wrapped into one. Cid then nodded, mumbling something to himself as he walked over to his workstation and pulled out an object, putting it into Luna’s hands before she could register what was happening.

“That was the King’s,” Cor murmured. “Given to him on his eighteenth birthday by his father.”

The blonde’s right hand was curled around a long black sword hilt, framed by two mechanical extensions that led down to two circular gears, coming together in the center at the base of the hilt where they were joined by a larger gear. It looked as if a small engine had been assembled, connecting the hilt to the blade. Like all the other swords Luna had seen in her brief glimpse at the arsenal, the side of the blade facing her was dull, allowing for two-handed defensive and offensive maneuvers. A thin, black metal overlay came from the bottom of the engine hilt down the length of the otherwise silver blade and curving upwards at the end, an outlandish design engraved onto the steel.

“It’s been upgraded,” Cid explained. “This baby’s been souped up. From what I could see, this blade can absorb elemental energy from monsters. So, I tuned up the engine on that hilt, and reinforced the sword with a glass gemstone. Them gemstones are hard to find ‘round these parts, but the kid found one. It’s yours now.”

“Thank you,” Luna breathed, still looking at the blade in awe. This was Regis’ gift to Noctis, the sword which had accompanied the Prince- King- on his journey. _Thank you._

Too soon though, Cor cleared his throat, and she dismissed the sword. “According to the note that was given to them in Altissia, the place the royal arm was taken to is sealed during the day.” He gestured to the sunset outside of the garage. “We have an hour to prepare, and then we will head out to the Fallgrove.”

“The Fallgrove?” Cid thoughtfully stroked his beard with one hand, the other behind his back. “Costlemark Tower?”

The marshal nodded his head, and the mechanic let out a slow, “Hmmm. Yes. There’s been talk about these parts, an ol’ tower in the woods. Lotsa dangerous monsters though. Best y’all be careful.”

* * *

While Ignis and Gladio went to get supplies from the store, Luna was pulled into a conversation with Cindy. It wasn’t long before Prompto joined in, the gunner and mechanic comparing notes on a piece of equipment that Luna politely excused herself to see if there was anything she could help with. Gladio asked her to check with the diner for any new information, telling her that the owner was a friend of theirs. The harsh fluorescents inside the circular diner momentarily blinded the blonde as she walked inside, approaching the counter where a bald man stood in a white apron with the words ‘Takka’s Pit Stop’ printed on the front.

“What can I get cha?” he asked. She opened her mouth to reply, but Prompto chose that exact moment to appear through the doorway, enthusiastically greeting the man.

“Takka! We’re back!” he called cheerily. The smile was instantaneous on Takka’s face.

“What have you boys been up ta?”

Prompto turned to his right to see Luna looking amused at their exchange. “We had to stop by and talk to Cid and Cindy about something,” he told him, eyes crinkling at the edges. Takka let out a long sigh.

“Cid just came by and told me the news,” he said, grabbing a mug and steeping some tea inside. He slid it in front of Luna, who looked up at him, surprised. “Awfully sorry, Lady Luna. I know y’all were meant ta get hitched.”

The Oracle swallowed, slowly forming words as she grasped the steaming mug with both hands. “Thank you,” she murmured, breathing in the tea’s scent. It was a calming brew of lemon balm, one she was grateful for before what she realized was her first official fight with her new companions.

“Y’all take care out there.”


	8. Costlemark: The First Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Noctis were here, Ignis wouldn’t be blind. He would never let that happen.  
> If Noctis were here, Ignis wouldn’t need protecting.  
> If Noctis were here, they would already have acquired the royal arm and gotten out of Costlemark Tower.  
> If Noctis were here, there wouldn’t be an enormous snake lady about to lunge at her and make her history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE! As promised, an action-packed chapter (one of the longer ones, yay!) after the short interlude last time. Man, fighting scenes are hard to write without being repetitive. Whew. I did my best.
> 
> Almost at 2k hits!!! The amount of kudos and comments and support I get from you guys continue to overwhelm me. It's incredible, so thank you all so, so much! This story has some great stuff in store, and I'm super excited to share the rest of it with you all. I'm also excited to already 100% the game and just platinum it already before Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Prologue comes out NEXT WEEK! Don't worry, the game's release won't put a damper on updating. After the frustration that was Costlemark and the absolute SIX HOUR NIGHTMARE THAT WAS PITIOSS, I am DONE with dungeons. For a while, at least. Eugh.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The dank of the dungeon pushed a wet, putrid smell into Luna's nostrils. It was safe to say that no one had been here in a very, very long time, if the piles of rubble and the skeletons they passed along the way were anything to go by. Their flashlights illuminated just a few feet ahead, offering no clues to the rest of the dungeon’s perils before the light was swallowed up by the darkness.

“Man, I can’t see anything,” Prompto said, his voice a borderline whine. He suddenly stopped, a horrified expression on his face as he looked over at Ignis. Everyone was silent for a moment before Gladio snorted, coughing to cover it up. Luna stifled a giggle. It wasn’t Ignis’ blindness that was funny; no, that was no laughing matter at all, but Prompto’s reaction to his own words that tickled their funny bones. The royal advisor himself only sighed as he followed Cor, unflappable as ever. Even without his eyesight, he knew his brothers well enough to make an educated guess as to what had just transpired.

The party continued on through the narrow passageways and broken monuments, their shadows dancing along the walls. It made spotting enemies a little harder, the flashes from their lights masking the monsters’ movements; the Gelatin fiends took advantage of this, their dark bodies blending in perfectly with the blackness around them as they rose from the ground just as the group arrived at the top of a staircase spiraling down.

“Luna! On your left!” Prompto called, firing off a bullet. The Oracle stood by Ignis, ready to help defend him at any moment. Mentally running through Gladio’s crash course on choosing the right weapons for each scenario, she gripped the Radiant Lance in her hands, the polearm both her weapon of choice and especially powerful against dark monsters because of its affinity for light magic. The Gelatin pounced at her, its gelatinous body flattening against the floor before launching itself into the air in her direction. Luna quickly fired off a lightning spell, also thanks to crash course number two, this time exclusively on magic, from Ignis mere moments before entering Costlemark Tower. The Power of Kings had given way a little bit more after her training session with Cor just yesterday; she would take full advantage of that during her first actual fight with her new acquaintances.

The spell didn’t stop the Gelatin. If anything, it made the creature even angrier as its attacks became more rapid, drawing her away from Ignis’ side. She wasn’t aware of just how far she was from him until a yell sounded from her right, where after a quick glance, she saw several Bussemands ganging up on the royal advisor, who was doing his best with his magic and drawn daggers. Unfortunately, however, he was at a severe disadvantage with his limited eyesight and not-yet-refined other senses. One of the Bussemands knocked his daggers from his hands; by the time Ignis summoned them back, another one had already landed several hits.

“Ignis!” Luna yelled, looking quickly around the area. Gladio and Prompto were busy dispatching other Bussemands and Ereshkigals, both too far from their friend to help. Cor was some distance away as well, another gang of Bussemands keeping him busy. Gritting her teeth, she let fly what she felt was a particularly nasty thunder spell, given that the lasting crackle of electricity lasted another moment after it killed its intended target, and the ground was now singed with black. “Ignis!”

Rushing lance-first into the fray, Luna’s weapon hit home on the side of one of them, the creature letting out an angry howl of pain and drawing the attention of its friends. Now, there were several pairs of yellow eyes glaring at her, and ready to attack. The first jumped at her, and the blonde pulled her lance back to strike it square in the chest when it landed. The lance sunk into its dark flesh, a stream of dark liquid running from the wound, but there was no time to stop and gawk at the bleeding creature. It charged again, Luna quickly bringing her weapon up.

“Swords are more useful against these!” Gladio called from farther down the staircase when he took a look up to keep an eye out for everyone else. The Queen mentally huffed as she dismissed the lance and instead summoning the new blade she received from Cid earlier. Letting out a loud battle cry, she braced herself for the onslaught of the Bussemands, now more preoccupied with tearing her limb from limb rather than Ignis, who was trying to walk over to where the fight was. Luna wanted to yell at him to stay down; he would help no one wandering in the middle of the fight with severely limited capabilities.

The monster attacking her drew her thoughts immediately back to the present. She slashed at it sideways, opening a gaping wound in its chest. It bared its teeth, running at her again with its fists ready to pound into her smaller body. Dodging out of the way, she opened another gash in the monster’s side, but that was the moment that the others began their assault. Bussemands were flying at her from all over, and she could barely keep up with their speed; one grabbed at her hoodie, the other landing a hit onto her shoulder, and still another landed a punch to her side. Groaning, Luna leaned onto her sword for support, the point resting on the floor before bringing the blade up again.

_Round two._

A fire spell from the corner of her eye surprised her; the flames ate at the Bussemands, completely devouring them until they were no more than burnt heaps on the steps. Panting heavily, Luna looked up to see Ignis, a frigid expression on his face, even when Gladio, Prompto, and Cor reappeared next to them.

“I don’t need protection, Your Highness,” the brunet said stiffly, his tone cold.

_What?! Where did THAT come from?!_

Without another word, Ignis felt for the banister, slowly making his way down the stairs. Cor took point again, putting a hand on the advisor’s shoulder to let him know. Luna stopped for a second from her surprise at Ignis’ outburst, then abruptly continued walking, a stony expression on her face and a frown on her brows. The other two Crownsguard looked at each other. Do they tell their Queen that he wasn’t usually like this, that they weren’t sure where the hostility was coming from?

Well, _that_ was a lie; they both knew why Ignis was so cold and unaccepting of Lunafreya. While the brunet was no doubt the best out of all of them with being practical and prioritizing logical action above emotional outbursts, it was surprising that in this nightmare, Prompto and Gladio were the ones having to be strong for him.

* * *

Gladio had Iris. Prompto had everyone else. He was always better at bonding with people, even if he lacked the charisma that the Shield possessed. Igins had no one.

The thought kept replaying in his head, turning his insides to frost. He tasted the bitterness on his tongue, feeling both the numbness and the anger that simmered just underneath the surface. He had spent all his life in his studies, both in academic achievements and the culinary arts, to someday become the official royal advisor for Noctis. Now, now he was broken and useless, as if Etro herself was throwing things in his way, trying to see where, exactly, his breaking point was. Now, all his academic achievements wouldn’t help him, and his culinary skills would be rendered almost useless give his inability to navigate _anything_ , much less a kitchen, without help. Now, there was no Noctis to advise, to remind to eat his vegetables, to wake up in the mornings when the sleepy Prince overslept.

Now, he couldn’t do something so simple as defend himself.

_No. I don’t need anyone’s protection._

Anything that happened to him, he deserved. He would take care of himself, and if he couldn’t, well, that would just be his own damn fault. He didn’t need Lunafreya looking after him. Ignis was not helpless, he kept telling himself feebly, the roaring negativity on the inside telling him otherwise, telling him he was a burden, telling him he had no purpose.

* * *

Prompto frowned, looking at the blonde he was walking next to. Gladio was a few paces ahead of them, keeping an eye on both them and Cor and Ignis in front. Since Ignis’ outburst, she hadn’t spoken a single word, even to him. Yes, he understood what the brunet was feeling, to an extent, of course, but that also didn’t give him a right to lash out at Luna.

“Luna?” He asked, almost hesitantly. He had no idea how she usually reacted when she was upset, but he figured, from what he had seen so far, that she wasn’t the type to completely shut down.

“Yes?” Luna responded, her tone carefully neutral. Prompto hadn’t played enough political games, having no roots in the royal circle, but he wasn’t completely without tact either.

“Uh, about Iggy-“

“It’s okay.” She didn’t give him a chance to explain. There was a soft smile on her lips, even if it didn’t reflect in her eyes. “I understand that Ignis has frustrations, as do we all.”

Prompto shut up then, nodding. He didn’t need to offer her more support or tell her, ‘you can always talk to me!’ No, she wasn’t Noctis. If Luna wanted someone to talk to, she would let them know.

* * *

 The winding staircases of Costlemark were the easiest parts, it turned out, as the group came upon a large room with square panels on the floors. Each panel led to a different elevator, and each elevator had different openings that led to different rooms, like an enormous sliding puzzle. And each time, it would dump them out to the bottommost floor where another enormous, open room awaited them with enormous enemies. Even then, Luna found that she couldn’t fully concentrate on eradicating them.

Instead, she kept an eye out for Ignis the entire time, guilt eating away at her.

If Noctis were here, Ignis wouldn’t be blind. He would never let that happen.

If Noctis were here, Ignis wouldn’t need protecting.

If Noctis were here, they would already have acquired the royal arm and gotten out of Costlemark Tower.

If Noctis were here, there wouldn’t be an enormous snake lady about to lunge at her and make her history.

Luna yanked herself back to the present and phased to the side just in time as the enormous reptile hybrid slammed down to the floor where she was just seconds before. The lance in her grip relentlessly attacked the daemon, which shrieked before counterattacking. Everyone else had their hands tied with three storming Red Giants, Cor now the one watching over Ignis. She had been helping Gladio and Prompto when the wall beside her burst open to reveal the Naga, teeth bared and fury in her yellow eyes.

The Naga’s pallid skin was ice cold as her arm smashed into Luna’s abdomen, knocking the wind out of her and the lance out of her grip. She gasped, trying to get air into her body as she reached out with her hand and re-summoned her weapon that landed some distance away from her. Just in time, she pointed the lance straight up right when the Naga’s long-nailed hand, almost like talons that could run her through and slash her open in one go, came down on her again, ready to pulverize her. The creature shrieked in pain. Luna saw a slight opening as it recoiled, and she threw out a powerful fire spell, which she poured her Oracle’s cleansing, healing magic into.

It didn’t stand a chance. The fire itself burned her skin and her scales, and the Oracle’s magic purified her to the brink of pain. Howling, she collapsed onto the floor, wide open for Luna to jump onto her body and plunge the lance right into her heart, her dying wail fading. Panting, the blonde fell onto the floor on her knees, taking a moment before looking up to the others. The Red Giants were all but finished, each of them on their last legs before Cor released a devastating attack and took out all three at once.

The party was tired, grimy, and out of breath; the four Crownsguard were covered in burns and bruises while Luna herself sported several dark spots, ruined clothing, and purple blood and gunk all over her body. With one nod from the marshal, they quickly regrouped, making their way toward the last elevator.

* * *

 There it was- the royal arm they came looking for, just lying inconspicuously on the floor in front of the elevator. Gladio narrowed his eyes; it seemed almost too easy for them to just walk in and claim it. But it wasn’t a bad thing to hope, right?

 _Nope, nope,_ nope.

His hopes were crushed, the Shield groaning loudly on the inside when a loud roar rang through the room, and an enormous, winged dragon appeared, storming into the light from the shadows and standing protectively over the weapon.  

“It’s a Jabberwock!” Cor called out, letting the rest know what, exactly, they were up against.

The Jabberwock let out another roar, and, deeming the group a threat, lowered its head and charged straight at the marshal.

Gladio was ready. He swung his sword at the beast to divert its attention from Cor, but the steel barely managed to make a dent in its bronze scales.

“Aim for the underbelly!” he yelled to the others.

“Jabberwocks are weak against blizzard!” Ignis barked back. Luna swung her head back to the dragon, pulling at her powers to form a ball of ice in her left hand, her right gripping her lance.

“Oh, hey there, opening!” Prompto quipped loudly, laughing as he took a shot, the crack of his gun reverberating in the room. The Oracle took her chance then in following up on the other blond’s attack, hurling the blizzard spell toward the Jabberwock. Cor slashed at it as the spell connected, and ice exploded over the dragon. Hot, red blood pulsed out of the wounds, staining the frozen, white scales, and freezing as it touched the cold.

The dragon roared in fury and blasted a cloud of gray from its mouth toward the marshal- and to everyone’s horror and surprise, a statue stood where he was moments before.

“Marshal!” Gladio shouted.

He didn’t have time to stop and pull out a remedy as the Jabberwock turned its attention to him next, being the closest one to it after Cor was immobilized. Another dark cloud came rushing toward him, and he dropped, rolling out of the way just in time. As Luna charged another blizzard spell, Ignis stood to the side with Prompto, the brunet also gathering ice magic to couple it with one of the gunner’s bullets while Gladio distracted the dragon, getting in slash after slash with his broadsword. There were a few times he was almost caught underneath the enormous talons, sharp enough to slash him to ribbons, and the petrifying breath that he barely managed to dodge every time.

Minute after minute, second after second, they fought without either side gaining ground. The dragon was relentless, even with its scars, and the four were tiring quickly. Gladio’s incredible stamina was what kept them alive, Luna knew. She gritted her teeth, throwing spell after spell after spell without slowing the Jabberwock down. Frustration mounted exponentially as the sweat dripped down the side of her face, her bruises and cuts all stinging and demanding her attention. The fight dragged on, and everything in her screamed for her to _end it._

 _Oracle Queen_ , Gentiana’s smooth, accented voice, loud and booming in her mind, almost caused the blonde to crash onto her knees. It felt like getting hit over the head with an anvil, the pain multiplied by the wounds she had sustained. _We will help._

Luna’s heart was pounding rapidly, and her aching body felt every breath as she opened herself up to the well of power inside her to grasp at the Astrals, calling upon their power. It was only a moment before the room froze over with a cold wind, Gentiana walking gracefully past the shivering queen to transform into her true form- Shiva, the Glacian Goddess. Everyone stopped fighting, witnessing the incredible scene in front of them. Although they had seen a summon before from their time with Noctis, it was the first time they had Shiva fighting at their side. She flew into the air with the rest of her sisters, creating a vortex of ice and snow that surrounded the Jabberwock and froze the dragon completely, the ice then breaking apart and shattering the creature.

It was over. Gladio fell to the floor, gasping for air as Luna collapsed onto her knees, leaning against her lance. Ignis handed Prompto a remedy, which he then poured over Cor, unfreezing the marshal from his stony prison. Everyone took a moment to gather their frayed nerves after the several hours of hiking through the daemon-infested dungeon and the long battles that covered them in blood, sweat, bruises, dirt, and daemon guts. Luna was fairly certain that the gunk that stuck bits of her hair together belonged to one of the Ereshkigals she gutted with Durandal earlier on.

The weapon on the ground, the royal arm that the Jabberwock was guarding, began to hum, and Luna felt the Power of Kings being beckoned. The small whisper of sound that came forth didn’t sound much different from the song she would sing to waken the gods; surprised, she looked to her companions to see their expressions still bearing the weariness of their venture like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. _They couldn’t hear the sound_ , she realized.

She stood up shakily, using her lance as a support and stumbled over to the long sword, feeling the stir of powers and the longing it had toward its kin. Luna held up her hand, reaching out with the power- and the sword responded in kind. A blue glow surrounded the weapon, floating off the floor as crystal shards began forming around it.

 _Accept the Power of Kings_ , Gentiana’s voice said again. The Queen took a breath, opening her well of powers again. She wasn’t sure what would happen, but she definitely did not expect it when the sword pointed itself at her. Before she knew it, a quick burst of pain tore through her chest as the sword disappeared, and more crystal shards formed as an array of phantom weapons projected itself around her, a glowing halo of protective light. Luna looked in awe at the manifestation of power, power she did not yet fully know, did not yet fully possess.

The weapons disappeared, as did the crystal shards, and she could no longer feel the tug-of-war going on inside of her. Neither could she feel the presence of the weapon she had just acquired; it worried her a little, but she shoved that thought aside. She could think on it later. Right now, their top priority was to get out of Costlemark and find a place to rest.

There were no enemies to be seen as the group backtracked and made their way out, a fact that Luna sent up a quick prayer of thanks for. There were also no words spoken between them, each person too tired to form a coherent sentence after their ordeal. When they finally reached the antechambers and the hallway that led to the outside of the ruins, Luna held her breath until the night sky and the bright stars were in full-view above them. Everyone greedily gulped in the fresh air after the dank and rotting smells inside of the Tower; the night air revitalized them, and they trudged onward to find a haven in the Fallgrove.

Luna actually thought they were going to get so lucky to be able to set up camp and take a quick shower in one of the rivers or streams nearby, to bunker down for the night, but, as she again learned, fate was rarely so kind. A Niflheim airship was parked in front of the ruins of the Tower Gate, the one she recognized to belong to the one person waiting for them at the entrance of the ruins-

Ardyn Izunia.


	9. Enter the Dragoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the last several hours, if any of Niflheim’s forces attacked, they were going to come face-to-face with a very ticked-off Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said that KH 2.8's release wouldn't put a damper on my updates...but it kind of did =\ I finished watching X Back Cover and finished 0.2 BBS and started Dream Drop Distance before I finished this chapter (even though I already had it half-written). Sigh.
> 
> BUT, here is the finished product!! A little late in updating, I apologize. Thank you guys for your comments and support :) Without further ado-
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

His wolf-like grin jumped out at them, the unease in the atmosphere causing everyone to tense. Ignis, though blinded, could almost taste the thick anxiety when the group stopped walking a good distance away from the Niflheim troop.

“Chancellor Izunia,” Luna said first, her curt tone ringing in the night. Ardyn took his hat off, sweeping into a bow and back up, replacing the hat in one smooth movement.

“Why, hello!” he called to them. “We had heard reports of your entourage in the area, and thought we would drop by to offer our…assistance.” His amber eyes quickly flicked to Luna, hardening for just a moment before the too-easy smile took over again. Cor and Gladio didn’t miss it though; they stepped closer to her, Cor slightly in front to the left as Gladio flanked her on the right. Prompto stayed at her left just a little behind the marshal, guarding Ignis as well.

“I don’t believe we’ll be requiring your assistance, Chancellor,” the blonde replied, calm masking the distrust in her voice. The corner of Ardyn’s lips lifted a little, the crazed look coming back into his eyes.

“Not even to locate the young King Noctis?”

All the blood drained from Luna’s face. Next to her, Gladio let out a low growl, anchoring her back to the situation at hand. Anger was good; anger helped her stay in the present, as long as she didn’t lash out. They had no way of knowing how much Ardyn knew- did he know Noctis was gone? Was he here just to taunt them? Did he know something they didn’t? If there was anything Luna learned about the Empire growing up, it was that the Chancellor was always two steps ahead of everyone else. She didn’t trust him then, she wouldn’t trust him now. Iedolas Aldercapt listened to his every word. The Niflheim Empire as it was now was built according to the counsel of this man, the one who had a sickeningly charming smile and mocking respect.

But Luna knew one thing about him her companions didn’t- there was a part of Ardyn Izunia, and she had no idea how dominant that part was, that was daemonized. As an Oracle, she saw right through it. It was no secret to her that Niflheim conducted experiments on their citizens, or that they mated daemons with human fetus material to create their magitek soldiers. It was no secret that humans were being mass produced to become those magitek soldiers, a thought that sickened her to her stomach, breaking her heart that even with all her powers, she could not help them.

“We Lucians will handle our own affairs,” the Queen said firmly, her words putting more distance between the two groups. She saw the way Ardyn’s eyes raked over her form, taking in her attire and dissecting the meaning of her words. She saw the way they focused on her necklace, the Ring of the Lucii, for just a moment; anger flashed over his face, but was gone instantaneously. Gladio took another step closer to her as the blonde tried not to shudder or show her discomfort.

“Of course. As you Lucians have _always_ handled your own affairs.” Ardyn’s tone was calm, but everyone could feel the bristling anger underneath, his amber eyes flashing dangerously. Cor, standing just slightly in front of Luna, didn’t miss the carefully-hidden emotion swirling on the Chancellor’s face, his stance and barely-furrowed brows giving away his fury. All of a sudden, as if someone flipped a switch, all emotions other than Ardyn’s ever-present pleasantness and calm were absent from him, putting all of them even more on edge than before.

“As I can very clearly see, our presence here is not needed,” the Chancellor said, tipping the brim of his fedora at them. “We will take our leave. I’m sure we’ll meet again…Princess Lunafreya.”

The Niflheim troop marched back onto the airship, taking off and leaving them standing where they were, still tense from their exchange.

“I don’t trust him,” Gladio growled lowly.

“Yeah, gives me the creeps,” Prompto agreed. Ignis frowned.

“The Chancellor seems to have his own agenda; he certainly did whenever we encountered him before.”

Luna opened her mouth, ready to tell them what she knew before Cor interrupted by summoning and unsheathing his katana in a single move.

Everyone was instantly on guard again as the sound of an airship engine roared overhead, and the blonde’s blue eyes narrowed. She was exhausted, everyone was exhausted, and they already had to deal with Ardyn Izunia himself. What else would the Empire throw at them? After the last several hours, if any of Niflheim’s forces attacked, they were going to come face-to-face with a _very_ ticked-off Queen.

To her surprise, Prompto laughed, dismissing his gun. “It’s Aranea!”

“Aranea Highwind?” Luna asked, confused. She didn’t know much about the infamous Dragoon of Niflheim, but if his reaction was anything to go by, she didn’t have cause to be worried yet. Despite dismissing his broadsword, Gladio didn’t move from his defensive position; Cor didn’t dismiss his weapon at all. The airship hatch opened, and three figures made their way toward the group, a woman in armor flanked by two men.

“Hmmm. Maybe the rumors _are_ true, then,” Aranea said as she stopped in front of the marshal, her eyes looking over them.

“On another errand for Ardyn, Aranea?” Gladio asked cautiously. The Dragoon almost smirked.

“Why, are you worried?”

A sudden movement from the side caught her eye, and she had just enough time to pull her lance up as Cor’s katana connected with her weapon. He jumped back, analyzing her stance. She glared at him, dismissing her lance.

“This is Biggs, and this is Wedge,” Aranea huffed irritably, evidently deciding that Cor wasn’t going to attack again- she was right; the marshal dismissed his katana, looking at her warily instead. “They’re with me. We left the Empire, and when we caught wind of a couple of rumors, and came to track you down. Also, I’m here on a personal favor for Ravus.” She looked pointedly at Luna, whose blue eyes widened in surprise.

“You left the Empire?” Cor asked, still suspicious.

“My men and I are mercenaries. Our services go to the highest payer, which happened to be Niflheim. But there’s been a change of plans, so we packed up and left.”

“What do you mean, ‘a change of plans’?” Ignis asked, no longer standing beside Prompto. Aranea grimaced.

“It’s a long story, and all of you look beat. I suggest finding somewhere to bunker down for the night first.”

* * *

 With great reluctance and suspicion on Cor’s part, the group boarded Aranea’s ship and landed at a haven some distance away, setting up camp. As everyone began to settle in for the night, Aranea approached Luna, who had finished bathing in a nearby stream to get all the gunk out of her hair, and was standing at the edge of the haven.

“Princess, huh? Or Oracle? What do I call you?” the silver-blonde asked. Her tone wasn’t mean, merely curious.

“Just Luna,” the other woman responded, still wary of her. “Prompto told me you all had quite the adventure before. Thank you for helping us tonight.”

Aranea waved off her thanks, getting straight to business. “It’s true, then? The Prince is dead?”

Luna flinched, ever so slightly. “How did you know?”

“There have been reports in Niflheim about it. None confirmed, but Izunia packed up and flew out as soon as he could,” she said darkly. “There’s been a lot of unrest in the Empire lately.”

The Queen was curious. Why would Aranea so readily tell them their enemy’s movements? What kind of unrest was she referring to? “How do you mean?” She asked, finally deciding on a conversation topic. Aranea crossed her arms, looking out to the landscape.

“Izunia has always been a bit off; never liked the guy. But ever since the rumors of the Prince came in, his behavior has gotten almost erratic. Yelling at things, breaking everything he saw, and then acting as if it never happened. Then one day, orders from the Emperor stopped coming in. He spent hours locked in the throne room with Izunia. It became obvious that their agenda clearly no longer needed nor included us.”

“So you packed up and left before they could do anything to you,” Luna finished, her hand resting on her chin in thought.

“Exactly. I wasn’t about to let my men become their chew toys,” Aranea replied. A short silence punctuated the conversation, the crackling of the fire, the calls of the cicadas, and the soft, hushed tones of the four Lucians in the background filled the spaces between their words.

“I saw his ship earlier,” the Dragoon continued to speak. “That’s why we didn’t stop by before.”

“You have done much for us tonight,” Luna murmured. Then, she straightened. “There’s something I don’t understand. Why search for us then, after leaving the Empire? We’ve got a target on our backs, this would be the easiest way to put you and your men in danger!”

Aranea’s stormy eyes fixed onto her blue ones, and Luna suddenly wasn’t so sure she wanted to know the answer. A few seconds seemed like an eternity until- “I owed Ravus a favor.”

“Ravus,” the Oracle breathed her brother’s name like a prayer. “How is-“

“He has business to finish in Gralea,” she interrupted, already knowing the question. “The Empire promoted him to High Commander earlier, as you know, but he doesn’t think they need him anymore either.”

Luna let Aranea’s words sink in, her stomach dropping through the ground.

“Don’t worry,” the Dragoon said almost gently, noting Luna’s expression. “He’s got some idea of what he has to do. But he asked me when I left to come find you. He’ll be in Tenebrae as soon as he can get out of whatever he’s doing in Gralea and told me to tell you to wait for him there. Said he was holding on to something for you and the Prince.”

* * *

 It had to be a few hours until dawn now; the sky was pitch-black from what Prompto could see from the tent flap, but his body, still buzzing with adrenaline and the tense events of the night, wouldn’t let him fall asleep for longer than a few minutes at a time. He gave up, and carefully crept past Ignis and Gladio, the latter turning over, to get out and get some fresh air. To his surprise, Luna was sitting in front of the fire, staring into it with vacant eyes. She was alone, with Aranea’s ship hovering close by.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked gently, careful to not startle her. The other blonde had shadows underneath her eyes, but she shook her head.

“I’m quite used to not getting enough sleep.”

Prompto chuckled. “Yeah, same here. Us four, we used to stay up all night. Noct would always take a long nap the next day though.”

A quiet giggle escaped Luna’s lips, and her friend had an idea. “Hey, I’m a photographer, and, well, I took a lot of pictures that I was going to show you when we reached Altissia. A lot of them are, you know, Noct doing some stupid stuff you might think are funny. Would you...” he trailed off, uncertain whether or not seeing pictures of Noctis would still be too fresh for her wounds. To his surprise and relief, Luna only smiled.

“That would be nice. Thank you.”

He turned back to the tent only to see Gladio emerge from it, Prompto’s camera in hand. The Shield looked bone-tired after the ordeal with the Jabberwock, but there was a small, teasing grin on his exhausted face.

“You two were talking so loud, people could hear it from Altissia,” he quipped. Prompto rolled his eyes, taking the camera from him as Gladio sat down on Luna’s other side, the three crowding around the camera. The first picture was of the Citadel in Insomnia, still in all its glory, the day before Niflheim attacked. A rush of guilt hit Luna’s stomach as she relived those moments of escape, how King Regis had let go of her hand, telling her to run…just like she had let go of his all those years ago in Tenebrae. She knew then, from the expression on his face, that he realized it as well.

The second was of the royal council, taken from the entrance of the throne room. Idly, the Queen wondered how he was ever allowed to take the picture, but marveled at it anyway. It showed the entirety of the room, following the red carpet in the middle of the room to the stairs and the landing in front of the throne, where Regis sat. On both balconies sat the council, including the man she knew was Gladio’s father from both the news over the years and from the pictures Regis had shown her during their time in Tenebrae, telling her and Noctis all about their adventures. It may have been the tiredness or the bareness of the moment, open to nothing but truth, that made her blurt out her next words.

“Gladio, I’m so sorry about your father.”

Surprise took over every feature of Gladio’s face as he reared back to look at her in the eye, amber to blue. He had questions, so many questions, but he didn’t know if he was ready to hear the answers.

“By the time Nyx and I got there, Glauca was ready to kill the King. He was alive for that much longer, able to do that much more for Noctis and Lucis, because your father had stood by him until the end.”

Relief washed over him, his shoulders sagging when he didn’t even realize they had tensed up. Luna bit her lip, deciding that it was all he needed to hear. Gladio didn’t need to know that his father had faced a painful end while doing his duty to both his friend and his King, that Glauca had tossed him to the second floor and impaled him on his own sword, his body left hanging there on the wall when she and Nyx arrived. He didn’t need to know the way she saw his blood dripping onto the marble floor, able to piece together what happened as she took in the scene around her before they jumped into the fray. She shook her head.

“Nyx. He was one of the Glaive,” Gladio said, changing the topic. There was no mistaking his tone, that he had at least one of the answers he needed, but for this moment, he was content.

“Yes. He was in charge of protecting me in the Crown City. When Insomnia fell, he put on the Ring of the Lucii,” she explained, her hand instinctively closing around her necklace where her crescent moon pendant and the Ring hung. “And he did what he could to stop Glauca and the daemons from Niflheim that overran the city.”

Luna didn’t need to tell them anymore about Nyx’ fate. A solemn silence took place for a moment. Although Prompto had no idea who Nyx was, Gladio thought fondly of the times he and the Glaive had crossed paths, their short, joking conversations making an impact on his memory. The blonde sighed after a moment, a relaxed smile on her lips.

“What other pictures did you take?” she asked, careful to transition the moment and the mood to the next. Happily, Prompto showed her the others that he took of their trip- the Regalia breaking down, them pushing it to Hammerhead, and the rest of their adventures which the two men told short stories about, drawing fond laughs out of Luna. There were so many pictures, so many stories, and in all of them, Noctis looked so happy with his brothers, so focused as he was fighting enemies, so _alive_ in each and every one. Her tears were held at bay as they reminisced, her heart growing just a little bigger with each memory they shared with her. At the end of the night, when all of them felt lazy, content, relaxed in the atmosphere and ready to fall over, they stumbled back into their tents and sleeping bags.

It was the most restful night Luna had in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, what a happy ending to a chapter :') sorry there wasn't too much of Ignis, but I promise that he'll have a much more prominent part next chapter, and it will be amazing. We'll also see a LOT more of Aranea in this story, so this isn't the last time she'll appear! The writers did her character absolutely no justice in the actual game, so I hope this will flesh her out a bit more too. See y'all then!


	10. Blessed Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looked around, eagerly drinking in every sight. “Thank you,” Ignis breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, these chapters are getting longer and longer. As promised, an Ignis development chapter! This will probably be the last chapter in which our heroes will be able to take a break like this...ish. Unless you're Luna, then you're working all the time, the poor thing. My inspiration this chapter for her was actually Yuna (FFX) while she was healing people off-screen in Djose. Heh.
> 
> Enjoy! Thanks for the support :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

Luna wanted to close her eyes and slump into the seat as the seagulls' shrill screams and the waves hitting the rocks reached her ears. She was by no means raised a "beach person", as Prompto had excitedly said about himself, but loved the relaxing feeling everything about the oceanside gave her. The wind pushed her loose blonde hair, one of the rare days she left it down, from her face as the Regalia purred toward Cape Caem; the engine ran smoothly and quietly as per the courtesy and skill of Cindy before the group left Hammerhead.

"Y'all be sure to come back and visit us soon, ya hear?" the blonde mechanic had said with a gentle smile at the group. Prompto readily agreed, Gladio rolling his eyes and suppressing a snort at his antics. Luna glanced over to Ignis next to her, noting the way his shoulders seemed to be just a little more relaxed than the day before, than yesterday.

His eyes were vacant as they stared ahead of them, each breath coming at an even pace. She bit her lip, wondering if there was any way she could help, wondering if he would even let her help. She, Prompto, and Gladio may have bonded last night, but Ignis stayed stoically and stubbornly out of reach, no matter how courteous they were of each other when forced to work together. The hurt that he had tried so hard to hide kept slipping through cracks in his mask of composure- everyone could see this, it was nothing new. Luna wondered how long he wanted to be by himself before he was ready to open up to others, to know that they were hurting as much as he was over the same things.

Upon their arrival at the Cape, Gladio turned onto a side road, the gravel crunching underneath the tires, parking at the bottom of a small hill that was some distance away from the main road. The Regalia would be secured and safely hidden from prying eyes until they returned from Tenebrae. It was decided earlier that morning that it would be pointless to take the car with them on their journey into Accordo and the outlying lands, and none of them wished for any harm to come to the vehicle; Iris and the others would watch over it from here.

As the group hiked up the hill, Luna could see a small house at the top with a little garden behind it, a few steps away from the lighthouse that glinted in the mid-afternoon sun. She knew that the building marked a secret harbor that was underneath the cliff face and cut into the rock, tucked away from view. Just before they reached the house, the door burst open to reveal Iris, whose face lit up and ran to her brother. Gladio laughed, sweeping her off her feet and into an enormous bear hug.

“Hi, everyone!” the younger Amicitia greeted when she was set back down on her feet. “Talcott will be so excited to see you guys! Talcott, come here!” she called, looking back to the porch where a young boy stood, grinning. He didn’t need another invitation; he ran up to the group, with Gladio and Prompto animatedly commenting on how tall he had grown. Even Ignis cracked a smile when speaking with him, even after Talcott asked him what had happened to his eyes. Luna supposed he had a soft spot for him, before she was startled by someone calling her name.

“Wow! Lady Luna?” Talcott asked, eyes widening in awe. She giggled a little, kneeling down to be level with him.

“Hello,” she said, a laughing smile on her lips. The blonde stuck her hand out for him to shake. “I’m Luna.”

He grinned shyly back at her, shaking the offered hand. “I’m Talcott. Iris takes care of me and I take care of her.”

At that, everyone let out a laugh. “She must do a fantastic job. Both of you,” Luna replied, correcting herself.

“Are you guys headed straight for Altissia?” Iris’ voice broke through. She tilted her head questioningly.

“Yep,” Prompto said, popping the ‘p.’ “Gladio suggested we get a move on since there’s still quite a few hours of daylight left, so we’ll just reach Altissia and stay there for the night.”

The girl’s mouth formed an ‘o,’ nodding thoughtfully. “Right. I’ll talk to Justin and Monica and make sure everything’s ready for you guys then.”

“I’ll go with you,” Gladio spoke up. His sister nodded.

“It’ll just be a few minutes. Go ahead and rest a bit, okay?” she told the other three, gesturing to the house. The Amicitia siblings walked to the lighthouse then, Talcott all but dragging Prompto, Ignis, and Luna inside and talking to them about his ever-expanding cactuar figurine collection until Iris and Gladio returned, the six of them making their way down to the dock.

“Hey, Lad- Luna?” Iris said quietly after she had said goodbye to everyone else, Talcott at the center of their attention.

Luna looked over at her, surprised. She never expected the younger girl to approach her, given her rather cold demeanor last time during their first meeting in Lestallum. Understandable, though. Noctis had told her about Iris and the odd adventures they had found themselves in during their childhoods and younger teenage years; she could only guess that Iris harbored the same heartbreak as they all did, and did not fault her for it.

“Yes?”

The brunette took a deep breath before finally turning her amber eyes, so like her brothers, to her. “I’m sorry about last time. I know that you don’t mean any harm, and that you’re trying your best after everything that’s happened. I had some time to think about it after, and I just wanted to let you know, well…that you have my support,” Iris told her, everything inside her telling her to look away, but her stubbornness holding Luna’s gaze. “Noctis had it. So do you.”

To say she was surprised was an understatement, but a warm smile pulled at the blonde’s lips. “Thank you,” she replied, hoping that her gratitude was apparent enough in those two words.

“Luna! Ready?” Prompto called from the deck of the big yacht. Luna looked back at Iris, who smiled shyly at her.

“Time to save the world?” she asked playfully. The blonde stuck her hands into her jacket pockets, nodding once with a smile before turning toward the open sea.

* * *

As soon as the group stepped foot into Altissia, they were whisked away to the First Secretary’s mansion, much to everyone’s chagrin. The woman was not Luna’s favorite person, but being the First Secretary of the Accordo Protectorate and leader of the neutral zone in the war between Niflheim and Lucis, there was no way they could refuse her. It was for those reasons that she found herself pacing back and forth on the lush carpets she had last seen only a week, two weeks ago- _has it only been that long since Noctis…since she was in Altissia_?- when the door opened, Camelia Claustra walking into the room with her head held high.

“Lady Lunafreya,” the woman greeted politely. Luna, having the opportunity to change back into one of her long, white Oracle dresses before the meeting, curtsied.

“First Secretary.”

“Welcome back to Altissia. As you may have noticed, the Empire has pulled their forces from the city since the attack and the summoning of Leviathan,” Camelia said, getting straight to business. “And with the passing of the King, there have been whispers that I find the need to clarify.”

Luna dipped her head. “We are merely passing through, hoping to stay the night before resuming our journey tomorrow. Pray tell, what whispers have you heard?”

Though raised all her life to speak with formality, so much so that it was now ingrained in her personality, Luna couldn’t help but cringe a little. The past weeks with Gladio, Prompto, Ignis, and the others- Cindy, Cid, Cor, Iris, Aranea- had caused an unintended side effect of her speech becoming more casual, more relaxed, less rigid. It wasn’t until then that she realized with startling clarity just how different life was with others by her side. Camelia’s answer brought her back to the present, the conversation taking a surprising turn.

“Are you now officially the Queen of Lucis, in addition to your role as the Oracle?”

There was only a slight hesitation before Luna responded with a firm nod. “Yes.”

It may have been her imagination, but she could swear the woman’s shoulders relaxed at her affirmation.

“Lady Lunafreya, I have a request of you during your time here in Altissia.”

She could barely contain the urge to raise her eyebrows before the First Secretary continued. “I want to make an official announcement of your ascension. There are many who were injured in the rebuilding of Altissia after the rage of both the Empire and Leviathan’s attacks and could use the healing of the Oracle.”

Her unasked question received an answer nonetheless when the Queen nodded her head.

* * *

 Although it put a small delay on their trip to Cartanica, Gladio couldn’t have agreed more with Luna’s decision in staying in Altissia for another day or two to help those in need. Yes, he and the others had gotten the civilians out of harm’s way…mostly. But there were others who weren’t so fortunate, who may have been within blast radius of Leviathan and the Empire, or those who had sustained injuries returning to the city. After the official announcement of Luna’s claim to the Lucian throne that morning all over Accordo and Lucis, the Queen herself stood in the main plaza of Altissia, healing each and every person that came before her. The line was so long that the Shield couldn’t see the end of it, even when Prompto tried going to the very back and waving his arms in the air.

It didn’t stop with those who were merely physically injured either. There were some with dark patches of skin, dark veins underneath that Luna, upon seeing the surprise on their faces earlier on in the day, quietly explained to them was a side effect of the Starscourge, of the nights that grew ever longer each passing day. This carried on the rest of the day well into the night, and well after Luna insisted Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto rest in the Leville while she continued to heal.

“But-“

She waved away the protest with a tired smile. “It’s okay. I have been neglecting my duties as Oracle. Now is the time that I must return to them before continuing our journey.”

That was yesterday. Gladio knew for sure that Luna didn’t return to rest until the early hours of the morning, and she was gone from the suite before they woke up and was back in the plaza, still healing those who needed it, still exerting her energy and her powers, still saying the same chant over and over again-

_Blessed stars of life and light._

“Wonder how much longer we’re going to stay in the city,” the blond gunner said when he returned to his friend’s side. “Luna looks pretty ragged.”

“She’s been working nonstop since yesterday,” Gladio grunted. There had always been dark shadows under her eyes, but today, they looked darker, her complexion more pale than usual, and her hands shook ever so slightly. He shook his head. “Have you seen Iggy?”

* * *

 It wasn’t until their third day in Altissia that the line disappeared and Luna healed the last person who came to her for help. She was so exhausted that Gladio had to half-carry her back to the Leville with one of her arms slung around his shoulder, despite her half-hearted protests. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light, and it stayed that way into the hours of the evening when twilight was at the peak of its time, the light of the dying sun reflecting throughout the city in the waters.

She found that she was alone in the suite; the others must have gone out for dinner. Her muscles ached and her magic screamed for rest, but her body simply wouldn’t allow her to sleep any longer. The open window seemed to beckon to her, the birds singing outside in the warm air lured her outside to walk around, stopped numerous times by people who wanted to thank her, who wanted to congratulate her and talk to her. Luna was an introvert by nature; by the time she was done talking to the fifth person on the street, there was really only one place she wanted to go to for peace and quiet.

The Leviathan pool wasn’t open to the public, but she was allowed to make her way there with the sounds of the city fading to a soft murmur in the background. With each step, her heart began to beat harder, her emotions threatening to burst out from within. Though it really hadn’t been all that long, she couldn’t stop the tears that welled in her eyes as she walked, the string that had been strung connecting her heart to Noctis tugging painfully in her chest. She didn’t think she would be back in Altissia so soon, but now that she was here, now that she was tired and spent after three days of healing and minimal sleep, after all the combat training and the Power of Kings and all the things she experienced the past weeks, Luna wanted to be selfish and she wanted to stop and have the whole world stop and wait like her world had stopped the last time she was here before it kept spinning faster and faster out of her control and gods EVERYTHING HAPPENED TOO FAST AND SHE WAS POWERLESS TO STOP IT AND HER HEART WAS BEATING SO FAST SHE WAS CERTAIN SHE WAS GOING TO FAINT AND WHY IS EVERYTHING BLURRY WHY CAN’T SHE BREATHE WHY IS EVERYTHING SO LOUD STOP STOP STOP STOP-

And a figure standing in front of her, his back facing her, pulled her back into reality. Each of her senses slowly came back, one by one, when she registered the stinging in her eyes, the wetness on her face, the heaving of her chest, the harsh intakes of breath, the rawness in her throat when she realized she had been running, sobbing, screaming.

“Lady Lunafreya,” Ignis finally said, turning around. Luna didn’t have the heart to correct him; she could only sniff, roughly wiping her tears away with her arm. “I apologize. I was not expecting company.”

No, he wouldn’t have. It was a long time before the blonde was back in command of her feet, after her sniffling had died down and her eyes stinging with the cold and remnants of tears. She walked forward slowly, careful not to startle him as they both stood at the precipice, Ignis lost in his thoughts and Luna’s mind a total blank after all of hers and swirled into a chaotic maelstrom.

“Have you…” the blonde started, her voice cracking horrendously. She cleared her throat, trying again. “Have you been here long?”

“I needed some time to think,” he replied. “Lady Claustra was accommodating enough to allow me entrance here. I’ve…had the chance during the last few days to think through some things.”

Luna’s blue eyes stared out into the calm water, the evening wind playing with her hair that was pinned up in her usual style today. The reports all said that Noctis’ body was never recovered. Idly, she wondered if the Astrals had anything to do with it; the Astral energy that was present that day was more than she had ever encountered in her entire life.

“Did you come to say goodbye?” she asked. Her question took him by surprise, but Ignis, in turn, surprised her with his honest answer.

“Yes. Partially.”

Another moment of silence.

“I had been raised to become advisor to Noct one day. Even in his youth, be it his studies at school or anything of the culinary or home economic nature, I made sure it was done. And after he was gone, it seemed like all a waste. The gods had to have been toying with me. I felt so angry that he was taken, so unfair that after everything we had been through, he had to be the one to leave us. After having all this time to say goodbye to Noct and to think through everything, I know that I had been callous towards you because of my guilt.”

Luna lifted her head so quickly she almost gave herself a whiplash, his words striking a chord within her.

“I felt so much guilt that I couldn’t have done more to protect Noct, and that though it wasn’t your fault, not really, it was that he was gone.”

A humorless laugh escaped her lips. “I felt that way as well,” she admitted quietly. “That guilt, always eating me up on the inside. That I shouldn’t be alive, that Noctis should be the one living happily and I should be the one gone.”

He turned to his side, looking at her directly. His good eye could barely make out her dark shape amidst the even darker world around him. “I know now that Noct did what he thought was best, and that he would do it again if he had the decision. And maybe in another reality it would have been different, that if you were in his place your only thought would be to protect him no matter the consequences. But here is where we are now, and Noct would want us to keep going.”

For the second time that day, Luna felt tears prick at her eyes. “You’re right,” she managed to say, voice wavering only slightly.

“I know that I haven’t been your staunchest supporter,” Ignis continued. “But I hope to put that behind us and going forth, to know that we are doing what we can to honor Noct’s decisions and his memory.”

This time, she let out something that was a cross between a laugh, a hiccup, and a sob as she nodded. “Yes.”

The pair quieted again for a moment, both reveling in the newfound peace and understanding they had between them before Luna turned to him.

“Ignis? How is…how is your vision?”

He sighed. “It’s dark,” he answered honestly. “I can make out shapes, but it isn’t very clear.”

The blonde cleared her throat. “Don’t move,” she warned him as she put her hands to the sides of his face, tiptoeing to reach his forehead where she rested her head, pulling at her magic once again and praying her hardest that it would work.

_Blessed stars of life and light…_

Magic seeped into him, the golden glow dancing around his eyes before Luna pulled away, looking at him nervously as Ignis opened his eyes.

“It’s…much better,” he gasped, surprised. Instead of black and dark gray, the world was much brighter; there was no way of ever regaining his vision like before, but he could make out a very faint tint of other colors amidst the gray now. He looked around, eagerly drinking in every sight. “Thank you,” Ignis breathed.

Luna only smiled.


	11. The Wings of Eos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was that yell that brought Luna back to the present, that made her scramble onto her knees to the side of the train. “Prompto!” she screamed. “Prompto!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!! Sorry I'm (again) late in updating; this chapter was really hard to get through for some reason =\ BUT I posted it within ten days, so that's that. Thank you for all your continued support! In return, here's one of the longest chapters. YESSSSS.
> 
> Also, I would HIGHLY suggest listening to Love Lost on loop after the first break in the chapter :) that's what I listened to while writing the scene, and I think it worked really well :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The Malboro let out a green, pungent breath that reeked of rotten corpses and decaying plants, and Luna thanked every star she could name that she rolled out of the way just in time. Gladio was not so lucky; he stumbled around, disoriented, and flinched every few seconds as if something was hurting him.

“This thing just doesn’t die!” Prompto yelled, firing off shot after shot. Suddenly, Ignis, who had been standing out of harm’s way, snapped his fingers.

“That’s it! I’ve-“

“If you say you’ve come up with a new recipe, I will _toss_ you in!” Gladio half-slurred, half-yelled, barely able to keep it together in the aftereffects of the Bad Breath attack.

Ignis pointedly ignored him. “I’ve got an idea!” he called to the others. “But you’ll have to get Gladio out of the way first!”

When the gunner nodded and armed himself with his gun in one hand and a remedy in the other, the brunet turned to Luna. “Luna! Watch the Malboro and ready a fire spell. The next time it releases the gas, throw the spell into its mouth; the gas should be flammable, and that way-“

He didn’t even get to finish his sentence before Prompto shot the creature, momentarily distracting it and giving him time to dump the remedy into Gladio’s mouth, and, quite literally, drag him to the sidelines. The Malboro screeched, enraged, flailing its tentacles and opening its wide maw to hit them both with its breath attack…

And then the creature exploded into flames. “Great shot, Luna!” Prompto exclaimed as he and Gladio made their way to the other two with the latter’s arm around the former’s shoulders, leaning heavily against him. After blasting the thick, overgrown vines in the entryway of the Lucian Royal Tomb (why Noctis’ ancestors ever thought this would be a good final resting place was beyond her), Luna once again heard the weapon sing to her, joining in the ranks of its other brothers as it literally tore into her, leaving her gasping for a moment as she felt the phantom pain in her chest. This power that she had, stilled locked inside the deeper recesses in the Power of Kings, was still not responding fully to her when she tried to summon the weapons. No, she had not yet mastered it.

The fight with the Malboro and acquirement of the Katana of the Warrior had been hours ago; the group boarded the train in Cartanica, and was en route to rendezvous with Ravus in Tenebrae. Luna had explained the situation to the other three in hushed tones in their compartment, and they had agreed knowing that even loyal to the Empire, Ravus’ main concern was Lunafreya. In the struggle against the Empire, acquiring another ally, especially one that was higher up within their enemy’s ranks, was not a bad idea. Gladio was wary of Ravus after the previous encounters he had with the man, but it was Luna’s firm stance and Aranea’s words to the group before she left them that made him come around, for the most part.

They still had quite the distance to cover before arriving at their destination. Prompto had settled in the compartment for a nap while Gladio checked out the food in the dining car, leaving Luna and Ignis in an intense game of chess on Ignis’ phone. The gunner had introduced King’s Knight to her a little while before that, downloading it to her own phone, so the former was, for the first time, itching to finish the game with one of the strongest opponents she had ever faced to go back to it and play for more than five minutes to see what it was that had all three (and Noctis, as far as she knew) so invested in it.

It was down to just a few moves now; Ignis clearly had the upper hand, but Luna, if she got really, really lucky, might be able to come out with a win if he wasn’t fast enough to cover all his bases. Just when the brunet was about to make his next move, an enormous explosion rocked the train car, throwing them all to the floor and waking Prompto instantly.

“What- what was that?!” he demanded, a tinge of fear in his tone. Gladio burst through the compartment door right when Ignis and Luna both picked themselves off the floor, immediately alert.

“MAs on top of the train,” he growled. The blonde pushed the sleeves of her hoodie up, hastily tying her hair up into a ponytail as she awaited the instructions that Gladio was shooting out. “Luna, will you be okay with-“

“Yes,” she interjected without even letting him finish. He rolled his eyes at her, but nodded anyway. “Iggy and I will stay here to help the passengers; there are some who have been injured in the blast, but there shouldn’t be anything that can’t wait for your Oracle powers until you’re finished. A few potions should do it. Luna, you and Prompto will go topside to eliminate the enemy.”

The two blondes looked at each other and nodded, both racing out the door with Prompto leading the way and Luna hot on his heels. He led them to the outside of the train car, climbing the ladder on the side to get to the top, breathing out an ‘oh boy’ as he took in his surroundings.

Niflheim ships surrounded the train, magitek soldiers dropping onto the top of the car and already firing at them. Prompto leapt out of the way as Luna found herself phasing in and out between attacks, sweat already matting her forehead from the amount of effort she needed to keep up with the bullets and with invoking the Power of Kings- even one lapse in her concentration would be fatal. Every phase took her just a little bit closer to the enemy, allowing her to summon her sword to quickly dispose of them. She was by no means out of shape, but she hadn’t quite had enough time to train her stamina for combat, and found herself tiring fast.

“Luna! On your right!” Prompto yelled from somewhere in front of her. Luna thrust her hand out, her anger and frustration and exhaustion fueling a strong thunder spell she hurled at the magitek troopers. Their metal bodies crackled with residual lightning, smoldering into the metal of the train as the thick smell of burning metal pushed itself into the two blondes’ airways, both gagging at the overpowering scent.

“How did the Empire know we were here?!” she growled through gritted teeth. Unless either Ravus or Aranea had sold them out…which didn’t seem likely…the Empire would have a much harder time keeping track of their exact locations.

“Figure it out later! These guys keep coming!” the gunner exclaimed, firing shot after shot after shot and doing what he could to scatter and bring down the soldiers. Luna threw out another thunder spell as she summoned her sword, hacking and slashing in every direction. They were endless, mindless killing machines that would not rest until both of them were dead, a fact that was painfully reiterated time and time again whenever a bullet grazed her skin, streaking it red. There were bruises all along her arms and shoulders from where she would phase in and out, ramming into the magitek soldiers and trying to cut her way through.

_The airships._

Luna’s sudden realization had her narrowing her eyes in the midst of her defensive phasing, charging a powerful thunder spell in her left hand and letting it fly into the closest Niflheim ship. It exploded upon impact; one ship down, three more to go.

“Prompto! The ships!” she yelled at him, the spark of realization lighting up his blue eyes. Swiftly, he released his magazine and pulled another from his pocket, aiming as carefully as he could while dodging bullets, and fired right at the enormous engine of one of the airships. The engine burst into flames, alarms blaring as it plummeted downwards. He shot another one while Luna blasted the last ship, clearing the skies.

A movement from the right caught the corner of her eye. “Look out!” Luna shrieked. Prompto swung his head over to the side, throwing his body out of the way and pulled her down with him, both landing on the top of the train car as another explosion hit the train, rocking it precariously on the tracks. The two blondes lifted their heads to see the shattered bodies of the magitek soldiers, and the smoke from the explosion quickly scattered by the wind to reveal someone walking toward them.

“Ah, Lady Lunafreya,” Ardyn Izunia greeted with a grin and a graceful, sweeping bow. Prompto and Luna immediately stood up, shifting into defensive stances. The Crownsguard moved so that he was just slightly in front of the Queen, his piercing blue eyes shooting daggers at the other man.

“What are you doing here,” Luna hissed, not even a question. She had always known there was more to the daemonized Chancellor that met the eye (and the news), but she didn’t deem ‘hurry up and wait’ a viable course of action in this particular situation, not when Niflheim troops were trying to kill an entire train full of people. There was no time for proper decorum or political games now. His response, however, took both of them by surprise.

“In the days of old Lucis, there was one in line to take the throne,” Ardyn said as he paced. “So generous, so selfless was he that when the world was on the verge of being plunged into eternal darkness in the war of the gods, the Great War of Old, he was the first to respond to the call of the gods, offering himself for the sake of the world at the beckoning of the Crystal that was given to him by five of The Six. The Scourge came, and with the help of the First Oracle, he opened his body to host the darkness, restoring the light to Eos, but at a heavy cost.”

“What you have to say, I already know,” Luna growled. The history of Eos was vital to her role as Oracle; she had memorized the passages he was quoting from Cosmosgony in her childhood.

It was as if he didn’t hear her; he kept speaking as he kept pacing on top of the racing train. “The Crystal and the Kings of the Lucii, their lights tied to the Ring given to the King of Lucis, denied him ascension when his time came; it took his given name of Lucis Caelum and gave it to another, one who was called to take the Crown. The Savior’s heart was no longer pure, steeped in darkness, and for that, Providence cast him out. He was banished from Lucis, and slowly, his demonized powers grew to the point where he became immortal. Betrayed by the one whom the Crystal had chosen, betrayed by five of the Astrals, he pledged himself to Ifrit, the Bringer of the Night, shrouded himself in the darkness he hosted and disappeared, history blotting out his name.”

The epiphany hit Luna like a bucket of cold water, causing her to freeze and her arms and fists to fall to her sides. Her knees felt weak, like her legs were about to give way any moment. Prompto, noticing the change, took another step closer to her. “Luna?” he asked under his breath, worried at the vacant look in her blue eyes, the way her mouth hung open in shock.

There was no way Ardyn was saying what she thought he was saying. People were daemonized all the time because of the Starscourge; she had always thought that the Chancellor of Niflheim was an outlier, a special case of exceptionally powerful daemon energy, but if he was telling her what she thought he was telling her…

“It can’t be,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “There’s…that’s…it can’t…”

Luna couldn’t even form a coherent sentence, with all the thoughts swirling around in her head. Prompto fully turned to face her then, putting his hands on her shoulders and shaking her. “Luna! Come on, snap out of it!”

The grin on Ardyn’s face was feral. His lips were pulled back to reveal his perfect teeth, the dangerous glint of a predator in his eyes. With a wave of his right hand over his left arm, the black wing that was attached to his coat sleeve seemed to shimmer with darkness, a wing that until now she hadn’t noticed bore a strange sort of resemblance to the wing of the dead goddess Eos, seen plainly from the Rock of Ravatough. The Cosmogony even had a blurred picture of it, but it wasn’t until now that Luna made the connection.

Inky blackness poured out of the wing, igniting Ardyn’s crazed smile as a sudden black energy came bursting toward the duo. Prompto wasn’t fast enough- he knew he couldn’t dodge it. Instead, he pushed Luna, who was still in shock, back toward the ladder at the end of the car, causing the blonde to crash onto her knees and elbows. The blackness hit Prompto full-blast, throwing him off the train with a loud yell.

It was that yell that brought Luna back to the present, that made her scramble onto her knees to the side of the train. “Prompto!” she screamed. “ _Prompto!_ ”

She turned her head to see Ardyn chuckling, his wing still emitting dark energy. It was at this point that all her anger and her frustration and her heartbreak and confusion and loss of the past few weeks came to a boiling point and made her snap. If Ardyn hadn’t ordered Niflheim to attack Leviathan during the ritual in Altissia, Leviathan wouldn’t have been so erratic; Noctis would not have been in as much danger as he was then. If he hadn’t stabbed her, Noctis would never have needed to expend his life energy to save her. If what he was claiming was true, if he hadn’t fallen to darkness nearly two millennia ago, none of them would be in this situation today.

This, all this, was his fault.

He had caused Prompto to fall over the edge of the train, with no way of saving him.

He had caused the death of King Regis and Nyx and the fall of Insomnia, through his orders to General Glauca, Titus Drautos of the Kingsglaive.

He had caused, however directly or indirectly, the death of Noctis and the heartbreak of every one of the people who loved him- Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, Cindy, Cid, Cor, Iris, and Luna herself.

Luna’s vision was red as her anger pulsed within her, a low snarl coming from her throat. “I will end you if it’s the last thing I do,” she vowed, raising her blade and, with a loud cry, rushed toward Ardyn with every intent to kill, never mind that she had never taken another human life, never mind that until now, her hands had never been tainted by blood. The oath for vengeance that fed her anger was too great for even her to stop and strategize, the adrenaline pumping through her veins demanding action. Her blade barely nicked the corner of his sleeve, and, fast as lightning, the black energy bound her body, locking her in place.

She thrashed against her restraints, her uncontrollable rage and anger terrifying _he_ r with how much she _felt_ at that moment, her throat closing in fear in the face of knowing she had no way of escaping without being able to think clearly. Luna attempted to cut through the haze of emotions with some semblance of calm, but then Ardyn walked close to her then, causing an unpleasant shiver to run down her spine when he stooped down and whispered into her ear.

“Not today. But soon.”

Luna’s breath caught as a massive pain exploded in the back of her head, and everything went black.

* * *

It was cold. Why was it so cold? What was she laying on that was so hard? Wait. Now it was warm. Did someone find her? Did they put a blanket over her? She needed to open her eyes to thank whoever it was that didn’t let her freeze to death. Opening her eyes should not be this hard; she’s always been an early riser.

_Luna._

Even through the fog of unconsciousness, she felt her heart stopping at the sound of that voice, the one that shouldn’t be calling her name.

_Luna. Wake up._

With incredible strength, Luna forced her eyes to open, momentarily blinded by the soft glow of light that surrounded her. The floor. She was on the floor; that’s why it was so hard and cold. She gingerly lifted the top of half of her body up, supported by her arms. There was a dull ache in the back of her head, and she instinctively reached back, holding her right hand there for a moment before it faded a little and she let it fall back to the floor.

_Luna._

Tears sprang into her eyes. Luna held her breath as she tore her gaze from the floor to slowly look up, almost afraid of what she would see.

Black combat boots. Black cropped trousers, kneeling in front of her. A black motorcycle glove. A dark gray shirt, the neckline covered in falling skulls. An open black jacket. Deep blue eyes that held her own, a mop of messy black hair, wisps framing his face and every which way.

“ _Noctis_ ,” she breathed, her throat hitching as the tears that dammed in her eyes slipped down her face.

“Hi,” he whispered. “Can you stand up?”

Luna took stock of her injuries before deeming she was okay, that her legs were still working. She stood up shakily as Noctis straightened, a sad smile on his face.

“Sorry. I would offer to help, but…” he looked down at himself before fixing his gaze on her again. “I can’t actually touch you.”

Even with those words, even though knowing that this was most likely a dream- Luna couldn’t be bothered to figure it out, she didn’t care- she reached her hand toward his chest, biting her lip as her fingers went right through. She felt a sob rising in her chest, and she did her best to quell it, taking in a shaky breath. Luna forced a smile through her tears.

“I’m so happy to see you,” she said softly.

Noctis smiled. “Me too.”

She didn’t want to ask, she _really_ didn’t want to ask, but she needed to know. “How much- how much time do we have?”

The smile fell a little, but his eyes were misting too. He shook his head. “Not a lot…but I had to make do with what I had. There are some things you need to know. Prompto- Niflheim has him. They’re taking him to Gralea.”

Luna’s stomach dropped at the mention of Prompto, like someone had just punched her in the gut. Relief mixed with panic swirled around in her chest. Her hands flew to her mouth. “Prompto...I’m so sorry. I couldn’t help him in time, and now they have him-“

There was a determined gaze in his eyes now. “He’s tough; he’ll last a lot longer than they expect. But…the sooner we get him back, the better,” Noctis said.

“We’ll get him back. He’s going to be okay.” Luna felt Noctis’ determination wash over her like a gentle wave; the emotions bubbling within her calmed. They were going to Tenebrae to meet with Ravus and Aranea. They were going to figure out a way to get Prompto back, and once they did, they were going to bring the Empire down and save the world, just like their destinies had foretold.

He smiled proudly at her, but there was a sort of sadness in his expression as he said his next words. “Luna…you have the power of the Oracles and the Power of Kings. I know that as an Oracle, you heal people. That’s what you do. That’s what you’ve always done. That’s who you are. But sometimes…you can’t save everyone. And that isn’t your fault.”

There they were again, the tears that had been building up in her eyes.

“This,” Noctis gestured to himself. “Is not your fault. And neither are those you can’t save. You can’t help everyone, Luna, no matter how powerful you are. But,” he said, a small grin. “I know that won’t stop you from trying.”

And just like the dream she had in Altissia, there was a soft ticking sound that she knew was going to get louder and louder, marking the end of the time she would have with him.

Carefully, Luna stepped closer, putting her hands where Noctis’ shoulders were, leaning forward and closing her eyes. A low chuckle left Noctis’ lips as he bent his head down, resting his forehead against hers as best he could.

“I won’t let you down,” Luna whispered, echoing his words from so long ago.

“I know you won’t.”

The ticking was closer now, and Luna thought she felt the soft fabric of Noctis’ jacket, the strength of his shoulders before she fell.

* * *

“Luna?” Someone was shaking her. Blearily, Luna opened her eyes to the worried gazes of Gladio and Ignis hovering over her, the former letting out a breath as she blinked up at them.

“Prompto-“ she tried to say, struggling to get up. Eventually, she managed to prop herself up against a seat. “Izunia. Niflheim. They have him. The other passengers?”

“They’re fine,” Ignis automatically answered. “No one was seriously injured. What happened?”

So she told them everything.

When she was finished, both men were wiping away stray tears, both trying to process the information and the emotions.

“It’s good,” Gladio said thickly. “To hear from Noct.”

Ignis only gave a weak chuckle. “Our next steps?” he asked, taking in a deep breath through his nose in an attempt to focus on the situation at hand.

“We’ll meet with Ravus in Tenebrae,” Luna replied without hesitation. “Maybe he can tell us where they’d take Prompto. And Aranea said she would be waiting there. It doesn’t seem likely that she will return to Niflheim, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask her for information. The more we know before we go in, the better off we are.”

Gladio smiled at her. “Very good,” he remarked.

The Queen was starting to think like a warrior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't understand the "Wing of Eos" and the significance of that with the Rock of Ravatough, look up the Pitioss Ruins Theory on reddit. I read through the whole thing and it makes SO MUCH SENSE. The story of FFXV changes in such a big way if that theory is taken into account, and I loved it so much that I wanted to reference it a little in this story :) See you guys next time in Tenebrae!


	12. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The wheels of destiny are turning. The Oracle Queen is the one who will determine the world’s fate, and her own. And you, Prince of Tenebrae, have your own role to play in the shaping of the future.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tad late on the update, but not too bad, I don't think :) as promised, we're finally in Tenebrae! This chapter is structured a little differently since I wanted to flesh Ravus' character a little bit more. I wanted him to have a bigger role in the game; he had such wasted character potential. It could have been so much better if they just spent some more time on him. Sigh. Also. YOU GUYS. I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. OMG.
> 
> Thank you everyone for your support :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

_The dark room was silent as everyone waited with baited breath. Emperor Aldercapt’s eyes furrowed at the sole female in the room, whose gaze met his own- not as a challenge, but almost- almost_ bored _._

_“Commodore,” he called. “Why did you allow the Prince to escape?”_

_It was barely noticeable, but as Ravus Nox Fleuret glanced over at her from the corner of his vision, he saw the ghost of an amused grin cross her lips. Whatever she was going to say was not going to be in her favor. Aranea opened her mouth to respond when he stepped in._

_“Your Grace,” he said smoothly, putting his left hand over his chest in respect in addressing the Emperor. “It was under my instructions that the Prince of Lucis was let go.”_

_Aldercapt’s thick white eyebrows rose up his wrinkled forehead. “And why would you issue such an order, Commander?”_

_Ravus ignored the small huff that sounded from somewhere behind him, focusing his attention on the older man instead. “Noctis Lucis Caelum is the reason that the Oracle Lunafreya communes with the gods,” he replied. “If we are to slay Leviathan, then I can allow him to live until the deed is done, and then he will die.”_

_Aldercapt seemed pleased by his response, but the former Prince could see the look of amusement on Ardyn Izunia’s face; the thinly-veiled smile that he hated so much made his stomach twist into knots. Sure, his spur-of-the-moment lies weren’t the most polished or thought out, but they were good enough to pass as legitimate reasons. To his relief, the Chancellor didn’t push the matter, and Aldercapt moved on to the next item on his agenda. It wasn’t until Ravus was halfway to his quarters when he was suddenly pulled into a dark room, all of his instincts telling him to draw his rapier until he caught a headful of platinum blonde hair that made him pause._

_“Okay, Ravus. What’s your deal?” Aranea demanded in a harsh whisper as she locked the door. Ravus suddenly had a strange urge to cock one of his eyebrows. “Why did you cut me off like that?”_

_“Did you really want to tell the Emperor, ‘I don’t get paid overtime’ like it said in your report?” he asked dryly. She narrowed her stormy eyes at him._

_“It’s the truth. Izunia seemed to be okay with it. He even helped their group a couple of times_ and _asked me to fight with them trying to recover a scrap of metal.”_

_“Mythril,” Ravus scowled. “That ‘scrap of metal’ is-“_

_“I know what it is,” she snapped. Aranea dropped her glare, looking at him inquisitively instead. “Spit it out. The truth. You covered for me because you needed some way to help your sister.”_

_And there it was. Ravus barely managed to maintain his poker face, but the Dragoon could see right through him, a smirk growing on her lips. “Seems like your supposed loyalty to the Empire isn’t all it’s racked up to be.”_

_Had anyone else said those exact words to him, he would have held them at sword point for false accusations. He couldn’t jeopardize his position in the Empire now, not with Lunafreya’s failing health. She needed his help, even if she didn’t want it. “This is coming from the woman who leads a group of mercenaries,” he scoffed, not unkindly. A foot in to test the waters. Maybe Aranea’s loyalty wasn’t entirely solidified either._

_She frowned, but nodded slightly to show that she caught his underlying meaning. “The Empire pays, and I work. It’s the same as any other job. The highest bidder wins.” The Dragoon then held her elbows in her hands, arms crossing over her armored stomach. “But I’ve met the Prince, and I’ve fought with him. There are pieces missing in the puzzle. I’m not so sure that he’s what we need to be worried about right now.”_

_Ravus arched an eyebrow._

_“Aldercapt and Izunia have been spending a lot of time planning behind closed doors lately,” Aranea explained quietly, lowering her voice. “Something tells me things are about to change here, and not for the better.”_

_“I don’t trust Izunia either,” he murmured with narrowed eyes. A few voices in the hall outside stopped their conversation as Aranea double checked the locked door. When they floated past, both let out a quiet sigh._

_“If shit hits the fan, I’m taking my men and leaving,” she said. There was a hard look in her eyes that made Ravus agree entirely with her decision._

* * *

_W_ _hen Ravus returned to his chambers in the Zegnautus Base after giving his report on Altissia- leaving out the rain, the tears, the heartbreak at the possibility of it being the last time he would see his sister- the last person he had expected to see was standing away from the door, her back facing him. He swore he felt the temperature drop several degrees, even in the Gralean cold, and he almost reprimanded himself for being surprised, given whom he was seeing._

_“Ravus Nox Fleuret,” Gentiana’s accented voice pronounced each syllable carefully, just like she used to back in his childhood. Fighting the familiar urge to throw himself back into the past, he cleared his throat._

_“Gentiana. What might you be doing here?”_

_Her eyes were closed as she turned around, her expression devoid of any emotion. “The Oracle lives.”_

_Ravus reached for the back of the chair next to his right hand, gripping it tightly to keep from stumbling backwards. Relief surged through him; Lunafreya was safe, she was alive, she was-_

_“The King is dead.”_

_Everything in him froze in shock before a cold fury rose in his chest. Noctis was_ dead _? Everything that Lunafreya had done for him- all of her sacrifice, the blood price of invoking the help of the Astrals- had that all been in vain?! Had she suffered for nothing?!_

_Gentiana heard his unspoken questions, pacing around the room as she gave him answers. “The Oracle was dying. It was the Chosen King who brought her back to life, sacrificing himself to crown her Queen. The Power of Kings is hers now, as she lays claim to both the title of Oracle and the throne of Lucis.”_

_Lunafreya, Queen of Lucis? A grudging gratitude toward Noctis for saving his sister fought against all other emotions. He shook his head. He needed to see her, to speak to her and demand her own answers, to see for himself she was alive-_

_“The Queen journeys forth to master her powers and meet her destiny,” Gentiana spoke softly, her pacing steps halted. “She seeks the royal arms of the Rulers of Lucis to bring about the New Dawn. The glaive of King Regis must be given to her.”_

_Ravus looked down at his hip where the sword of the late King hung from his belt, trying to process everything she was telling him. Noctis was dead, and Lunafreya was queen. To inherit Noctis’ destiny…did that mean…_

_“Will she live?” he asked, forcing the words out of his throat. The Astral was silent for a moment._

_“The wheels of destiny are turning. The Oracle Queen is the one who will determine the world’s fate, and her own. And you, Prince of Tenebrae, have your own role to play in the shaping of the future.”_

_Hearing the royal title fall from her lips made Ravus’ breath hitch. No one had addressed him as such in years, not since the day his country burned and his mother killed._

_Ravus Nox Fleuret. It is time to regain your crown._

_“Darkness is falling over Eos,” Gentiana continued, her accented voice almost sending him into a trance. “And the fires of Niflheim will not be quelled, for the daemons’ shadows follow in the wake of the flames. An ally, Prince, you will need in this battle, both for you and the Oracle.”_

_Ravus turned to look out the window at her warning. He himself never used daemons in his battles outside of those infused into the magitek armor, but he knew Verstael was always in his lab, trying to harness more daemon energy in the troopers and experimenting on the daemon genetics in an effort to create an unstoppable war machine. If the whispers around the base were true, the mad scientist was on his way to something big. His blue eyes narrowed. Maybe it was time for another chat with Aranea._

* * *

At last, home. Lunafreya spent many years captive, but the beauty of Tenebrae never failed to take her breath away. She, Gladio, and Ignis helped the injured off the train and into Biggs’ and Wedge’s care before fully taking in the fresh air, the wondrous scenery in front of them. While an annexed part of the Empire, Tenebrae itself retained its serenity, its peacefulness in its mountains and waterfalls and hills and plains covered in sylleblossoms. As promised, Aranea’s ship was parked in the field right in front of the train station, the woman herself barking orders as the shaken train passengers were brought in for treatment.

Everyone stopped to bow, all wanting to talk to Luna when she passed by. Luna only smiled politely, reassured them with a few words, and then made her way to where Gladio and Ignis were speaking with Aranea next to a small white tent.

“Ravus is inside the mansion. He got here just after I did,” she said before Luna could open her mouth. “We’ve been on high alert for any Imperials, but we haven’t seen anything so far.”

“Thank you,” the Oracle replied gratefully with a smile. “Gladio, Ignis, would you-“

“Stay here and help Aranea with damage control and guard duty?” Gladio asked with a small grin, cutting her off.

“Of course,” Ignis finished his friend’s sentence for him. It didn’t take a genius to see that Luna wanted to see her brother alone. She let out a laugh and walked off in the direction of the mansion, unzipping her hoodie and pulling it off. The mild Tenebraean wind danced on her exposed shoulders, welcoming her home.

* * *

_“What is it with you and deserted rooms?” Aranea said teasingly, knowing it would annoy him. “Are they a kink for you?”_

_Ravus had asked for her to be summoned; he intercepted her halfway to his quarters and pulled her into a room much like the one they were in last time. Her crude language almost made him cringe, but he ignored the urge to reprimand her as he focused on the matter at hand._

_“Have you heard any word about Verstael’s latest studies?”_

_Aranea frowned. “Of course. It’s bad, he’s had people taken off the streets to be brought in. My informants are telling me more and more people are disappearing every day.”_

_Gentiana was right. It seemed that things were progressing far quicker than he originally thought._

_“How soon will you and your men leave the Empire?”_

_The Dragoon put a hand on her hip as she pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Could be as soon as two days. No one has seen or heard anything from Aldercapt or Izunia since yesterday, and Verstael is obviously up to something. I don’t want to stick around to find out what.”_

_Ravus thanked the stars when he heard her answer. Now or never. “Would you…would you do me a personal favor? We’ll call it even for me covering for you about Fort Vaullerey.”_

_“I knew there was a catch,” she groaned, rolling her eyes. “What?”_

_“Find Lunafreya,” he said immediately. “Tell her I’ll meet her in Tenebrae. There’s something I’m holding on to for her.”_

_Aranea’s eyes crinkled as she studied him. “Where are you going if you’re not going to find her yourself?”_

_“Covering her tracks and tying up loose ends,” Ravus replied. “I will do what I can to protect her. I’ll see you in Tenebrae.”_

_She was silent as she met his eyes, storm to blue, until she nodded once. It wasn’t until he was walking out of the room, carefully looking up and down the hallway, that he heard her murmur under her breath. “Be careful.”_

* * *

Nothing had been touched since she had last been in the mansion; it was just as she remembered, save for the emptiness. There was no one there, but the marble floors were polished as always, the white wood banister smooth to the touch. Everything gave Luna a sense of nostalgia as she walked through her home. There was only one place Ravus would go to meet with her, and her suspicions were proved correct when she opened the door to her room to see her brother standing at the window, looking out to the field of sylleblossoms she had tended to her whole life. Unbidden, her eyes started to mist over in happiness as she blinked furiously, trying to clear her vision.

“Ravus.”

He turned, and before she knew it, he was in front of her, holding her arms as he carefully looked her over as if assessing for injuries.

“Lunafreya. Are you hurt?”

Luna shook her head and launched herself at him in a full-on hug. Surprised, Ravus’ arms hung limply by his side until he shook himself out of his daze and pulled her off by her arms, still looking at her worriedly.

“Is it true? You’re queen now?”

By the way his sister lowered her eyes, that was answer enough. Shoulders slumping, he released her as his arms fell back to his side. “Gentiana came to see me. She told me everything.”

Her head snapped up as her gaze met his, the two siblings staring at the other with mixed emotions swirling all over their faces. “Everything?” Luna managed to ask.

Ravus’ demeanor changed all of a sudden, from concerned to stern, his eyes refusing to release hers. “Lunafreya, you have endangered your life, your health, as an Oracle for a boy who wasn’t worthy of your sacrifice. You have given much for the world, and yet, here you are again, throwing your life away again! Sister, cease this madness!” he said, echoing his own words from only weeks ago.

There was a fire in her bright blue eyes that almost made him back down. While Luna had always had her own spirit, unbreakable and unyielding, it would seem to him that her determination and resolve had only grown stronger over the years of Imperial oppression. The doubt she had back in Altissia when he went to see her was long gone; she was no longer the little sister he needed to reassure, to tell her that going to Noctis was the right path. And it was, Ravus mused, though both of them knew of Lunafreya’s failing health, though he had harbored such bitterness for the Lucian Prince that not only had he lost his mother because of them, but he would lose his sister as well (and perhaps there was a part of him that knew Noctis wasn’t at fault- not really) in her endeavor to help him. That was when Ravus knew that despite everything, despite all the odds pitted against her and against Lucis, she would not stop.

He sighed, closing his eyes for just a moment before looking back up at his sister in a grudging acceptance. “I know that this is the path that has been laid out for you,” Ravus said gently. “And that I cannot stop you from walking it, no matter how much I disagree or forbid you or scold you.”

Luna bit her lip, smiling.

“You are my sister,” he continued. “And I know you will always do what is right. I just want you to know that although I do not wish to see you throw your life away, I will always support you. I am proud of you, Lunafreya. I know mother is as well.”

That did it. Luna started to cry, and as she looked over to the misted eyes of her brother, she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. Ravus never talked about their mother. Never. Never once did he bring up the events of that day, save for the hatred he had toward King Regis and Noctis, pinning their mother’s death on them. Now, now, maybe they could have a chance to heal together old wounds from twelve years ago. He held her against him, both siblings reveling in this moment of peace, in this moment of reconciliation of anything they may have left unsettled. Luna wiped her tears with the back of her hand when he gently pushed her back, watching as she put her hoodie back on before he spoke again.

“I was told to give this to you,” Ravus said as he lifted Regis’ sword from his belt. He laid the blade sideways on his left hand, the other on the hilt. Luna looked at it in awe for a moment, hearing the gentle hum from the sword calling to her and knowing what must be done.

Just like the first time, the tangible steel became phantom crystal, rising into the air and shot right through her, calling forth the other royal arms. Ravus watched in awe as the weapons and crystal shards surrounded her, Luna’s right hand on her chest as she felt the phantom pain come and ebb away. She blew out a deep breath when the weapons disappeared, the Power of Kings still once more. Her brother put a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you-“

The doors slammed open before he could finish his sentence, both siblings backing into a defensive stance against each other as Niflheim troops rushed into the room.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Ravus demanded angrily. “I am Ravus Nox Fleuret, your High Commander, and I order you to stand down!”

One soldier trailed in behind all the others that raised their gun at the two blondes, throwing someone at their feet who immediately crumpled to the floor. Luna’s hands flew to her mouth, letting out a startled gasp.

In front of her was Maria, the elderly caretaker who had watched over her growing up, who had managed the affairs of the mansion in place of Ravus and herself all these long years. The woman had a large bruise on her right cheek, a scratch as if from being thrown onto hard pavement on her left cheekbone, and her arms were bleeding. Her gray hair wasn’t in its usual neat bun; it had fallen and pooled around her face in greasy strands, caked in blood. She groaned in pain, curling into herself on the marble floor, trying to protect her torso best she could when the same soldier that threw her down kicked her once.

“Maria!” Luna cried out, immediately crouching down to look at the woman. She summoned her magic, about to heal her, when Maria quickly grabbed her arm and shook her head.

“No, Lady Lunafreya. Not me. Not now,” she whispered. Tears gathered in Luna’s eyes as she shook her head. “Everyone- they’re dead. Those soldiers killed them all.”

It suddenly clicked- the emptiness of the mansion, the quietness of the hallways, the thin film of dust that she didn’t even notice on the surface of her furniture. Righteous anger boiled inside of Luna, the Queen pulling back her lips as she let out a low snarl. Where were Gladio and Ignis and Aranea? Why weren’t they helping? Didn’t they know the Empire was here?

The solider in front of them pointed their gun at Maria, addressing Ravus and Luna.

“Surrender, or she dies.”

There couldn’t…wouldn’t be any more blood spilled today. With one last look at each other, the two siblings nodded and eased their stance. Luna heard shouts ringing through the mansion hallways before the butt of a gun struck the side of her head, and she felt her brother’s arms catch her as she fell into darkness.


	13. Into the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It really hadn’t been all that long, but she really, really missed her friends. Already, they had made such a huge impact in her life, after all the years of solitude. Especially after all the years of solitude. Narrowing her eyes at the bars that served as the door, Luna braced herself. She needed to find some way, any way to find her friends, to rescue Prompto, and she wasn’t going to stop. She had to do it for Noctis, she had to do it for them, and if it took her ramming the door down with her bony shoulder, then so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4402 words. Holy crap. I knew this chapter was going to be long, but I didn't think it would be THIS long. This is by far one of my favorite chapters. I hope you guys enjoy :) and thank you for all your support! If you love the ending of this chapter, drop me a comment-- I'd love to hear your opinions on it ;) (in other words, I was really really really really really really really excited for that last moment).
> 
> (Also, I just noticed that this being chapter 13 also corresponds with chapter 13 in-game. Heehee)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The ground was littered with Niflheim soldiers, these being all flesh and blood instead of magitek. Out of the entire squadron, only one, stripped of his helmet and armor, was left alive. Said soldier was held off the floor by the scruff of his shirt, staring into three pairs of extremely angry eyes.

“You’ll never catch up to them,” he laughed with blood-stained teeth. “Especially you, Dragoon.”

Oh, she _loved_ this game. The woman smirked in response, her lance immediately finding a weak spot in the gaps in his armor. He hissed in pain, eyes widening in fear as his will and bravado began to crumble when he knew she saw right through his façade.

“I have no problem killing someone from the Empire,” she said, digging the tip a bit harder into his side. “Where did they take Ravus and Luna?”

The big man holding the soldier raised his fist, and his resolve broke.

“All right! The Chancellor ordered their arrest right after the Commander left the Capital to come here,” he explained quickly. “He ordered a small squad to wait here.”

The other man with a scar above his eye spoke up. “They’ve gone to Gralea,” he told his companions with a snap of his fingers. The woman pulled her weapon back, and with a nod from her, the big man swung his fist.

* * *

It had to be a nightmare. It had to. There was no other explanation for Ardyn Izunia to be standing in front of her as soon as she opened her eyes, but the pounding in her skull told her otherwise, bringing back the memories of her time in Tenebrae and filling in the gaps in her consciousness.

“Ah, Queen Lunafreya,” the Chancellor said mockingly, lowering himself into a bow. Luna froze in surprise before her brain urged her to action. She swung her legs over the side of the cot she was laying on, attempting to stand before her legs gave way to the pain in her head, and she fell back down.

“Easy now,” Ardyn chuckled. “That was quite a blow you were dealt.”

She didn’t have time for this. “What do you want?” she demanded as she put her hand to the side of her head. “Where am I? Where are my friends? Where’s Ravus? _What did you do to my brother_?”

“Don’t fret,” he reassured her in a deceptively calming tone. “The High Commander is fighting his way to you as we speak. He’s free to do as he pleases, you see, but everyone on this base, well…if there’s one thing both Imperial humans and magitek know to do is how to deal with traitors and intruders, and at this moment, Ravus Nox Fleuret is both. I have no doubt he won’t stop until he rescues you, of course, but whether he’ll survive long enough to do so is another matter entirely.”

Luna’s blood ran cold.

“Your friends- well, they wouldn’t care if you were gone, now would they? The only reason they stayed with you was out of loyalty to Noctis, what use are you to them?”

Her blue eyes filled with hate as she dredged up every single memory she shared with her newfound friends, each of them giving her strength to stand against his poisonous words. _Lies_. “And Maria?”

“Oh,” Ardyn smiled, waving his hand as if brushing away the question. “Don’t worry. She was instructed to be left alive. Someone has to clean up all the other bodies in House Fleuret.”

The rage that flowed through her body constricted her throat, and Luna found she needed a moment to put aside her blinding anger to speak.

“What. Do. You. Want.”

She was glad she was already sitting, because Ardyn’s blunt and instantaneous answer would have caused her legs to go numb otherwise; the shock from his reply smashed into her like a ton of bricks.

“To marry you, of course.”

Silence. Luna’s brain screeched to a halt as she tried to process his words; they were repeated over and over, but she couldn’t make sense of them through the shock and disbelief, and _did she even hear him right?_ As if knowing her inner conundrum, he continued to talk.

“Noctis Lucis Caelum passed on his powers to you before he died- quite an admirable move, by the way,” Ardyn said as he stood and began to pace. “If I marry you, the powers will automatically transfer to me, as it is my birthright- which you realized on the train.”

He smirked at her. With every word, Luna’s stomach sank lower and lower as if filled with lead.

“The Power of Kings answers to blood. As Ardyn Lucis Caelum, it cannot refuse me, even if you do not surrender it voluntarily. When the marriage is legally binding, as part of the bloodline, your powers will heed my call and belong to me.”

Ardyn stopped pacing then, placing both hands behind his back. “Such a pity dear Noct didn’t know this before he died.”

“Don’t you dare talk about Noctis,” Luna snapped for the first time since his tirade. He chuckled.

“Oh dear, have I hit a sore spot?” he said with a pleasant smile before his face darkened and his eyes filled with rage. “So did Noctis when he took away my revenge, the revenge I’ve waited for _two thousand years!_ ” he snarled, slamming his fist into the metal wall and causing a loud, hollow BANG to echo in the cell and down the hall. Ardyn turned back to look at her with a crazed expression on his face. “And you have to wonder, did Noctis ever really love you? Where was he when you suffered, growing up in the clutches of the Empire? Where was he those twelve long, lonely years? Where was Noctis when your flesh began to fail on his behalf? He brought you back to life only to make you suffer more!”

Luna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out his words. They weren’t true, she told herself.

_Not true._

_Not true._

Noctis knew the road ahead for her wouldn’t be easy. He knew. He apologized. He wanted to give her more time. He wanted her to _live_.

“Shut up,” she hissed. “Stop trying to get in my head.”

At this, Ardyn reared back with a calm look on his face, satisfied with the damage. “And you know what else, dear Lunafreya? Once I claim the Power of Kings from you, I will take the Crystal of Lucis and the Ring of the Lucii-“

Luna’s hand flew up to the Ring still strung on her necklace, holding it in a death grip.

“-And I will destroy the light of Lucis, I will purge Eos of all light.” Here, he paused to study her. “When I have that power, I will snuff out the power of the Oracle. Eos will be flooded with Starscourge, and the world will be plunged into eternal darkness. That, my dearest Lunafreya, is what I’ve waited for, for two thousand years, for the gods to know that they cannot deny my power, for the dead Kings of Lucis to know that the true King who had sacrificed so much for the people, the one they bastardized, the one they hated and rejected, emerged victorious in the end,” Ardyn finished as he leaned in close to her and brought a gloved hand to her cheek, his bare thumb grazing her cheekbone. She instantly recoiled from his touch, unpleasant shivers running down her spine. To her immense relief, he drew back, walking to the barred door of her cell. Before exiting, he turned his head to the side, just enough so that he could see her from the corner of his eye.

“Oh, and there-“ he swept his hand to the side of the small cell where a rather large object lay on the metal table, covered by a thin, tattered blanket. “I’ve brought you a wedding gift. Be ready, my dearest Queen. I’m sure the lovely Zegnautus here will make a beautiful venue for our marriage.”

Luna stayed sitting on the bed for a long while after Ardyn left, her frazzled mind trying to piece everything together. It was just as Aranea had said: Noctis’ death had driven him off the deep end. And now, believing her to be a prisoner with no way out and no way to stop him, Ardyn finally revealed his endgame to her. She took a deep, shuddering breath. No. She wouldn’t allow the world to fall to darkness, not when she promised Noctis she would restore the light. Not when so many millions of lives were at stake. Her eyes caught the so-called “wedding gift”, and against her better judgment, she ignored all the warning bells sounding in her head and pulled the blanket off the object.

Luna heard a blood-curdling scream, and her vision became blurry before she realized she was the one who was screaming, before she felt the trek of tears flowing uncontrollably down her face.

On top of the table lay Umbra, his eyes still open and vacant, with blood matting his dark fur together. One of his legs were bent at an awkward angle, and the green satchel that carried hers and Noctis’ red notebook was still there, frayed and battered. Luna’s sobs were hysterical as she reached a hand out to her faithful companion, but stopped when she heard a loud growl in her mind.

It was Pryna, trying to connect with her. Gasping for breath, Luna fought to concentrate on what she was telling her-

_That’s not Umbra._

Pryna let out a soft, comforting whine through their connection. She hadn’t found Umbra yet- and there was a very real chance he may have passed with Noctis since Luna hadn’t been able to feel his presence- but whatever that thing on the table was, it wasn’t him.

_More lies._

Pryna stayed with Luna until her sobs stopped and her breathing evened out. She let out an urgent bark.

_You need to get out of there._

Luna nodded and took a deep breath, feeling the warm presence of her companion. When she looked back at Umbra, his body became mist and disappeared; she couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped her. It was then she discovered another problem-

She couldn’t summon her weapons. Panic rose in her throat, the tears threatening to come back. Desperately, Luna reached for something, anything, but the Power of Kings was still, and her Oracle’s Powers refused to respond. For the first time since her mother, the last Oracle, passed, she was completely and utterly powerless, without her magic or her weapons at her disposal. Taking a shaky breath, she tried to still her mind, tried to grasp for the loneliness that was the key to the Power of Kings, tried to feel the well of light within her that was her magic, but nothing came.

Her hands began to shake, but she shook her head instead and pulled her hands into tight fists.

_Focus, Luna._

Glancing around the small cell, Luna searched for anything that would help her escape. Why couldn’t she remember how Gladio taught her to pick locks only a few days ago when she got curious and asked him? She could remember his grin and his patience as he instructed her, could remember Ignis’ amused chuckle, could remember the way Prompto kept snapping pictures as they went through the exercise. The Oracle squeezed her eyes closed.

It really hadn’t been all that long, but she really, really missed her friends. Already, they had made such a huge impact in her life, after all the years of solitude. Especially after all the years of solitude. Narrowing her eyes at the bars that served as the door, Luna braced herself. She needed to find some way, any way to find her friends, to rescue Prompto, and she wasn’t going to stop. She had to do it for Noctis, she had to do it for _them_ , and if it took her ramming the door down with her bony shoulder, then so be it.

She ran at the door, slamming against the bars _hard_ with her right shoulder and upper arm, wincing when the metal refused to give way. Luna backed up a few steps, ready to charge again when a loud _CLANG_ sounded through the hallway, and she froze, trying to prepare herself for whoever would come torment her next. Instead, to her immense surprise, Aranea walked in front of her cell door, a ring of keys in her right hand. There wasn’t a scratch on the Dragoon, but she was breathing heavily, as if she had been running.

“No time,” Aranea said quickly as she unlocked the door. “Are you all right?” she asked, looking at Luna’s now-bruised shoulder. Wordlessly, the blonde nodded, working the words she wanted to say out of her mouth.

“What happened?”

Aranea looked carefully into the hallway before beckoning for Luna to follow. “Izunia had ordered a squad to wait in Tenebrae as soon as Ravus left Gralea. It was a trap,” she replied. “They’ve been waiting at House Fleuret all along. The reason we didn’t know they were there was because no one even saw them arrive; their ships were completely hidden from view. We only got word of them when someone just happened to pass by where the ships were, and they ran out to report to us. We tried getting to you, but we were too late.”

“So how did you find out where we were?”

The Dragoon had an almost savage grin on her lips when she answered her. “We interrogated someone.”

Luna wisely chose not to ask what she meant by interrogation, but Aranea continued to speak. “Gladio and Ignis are here too. They told me what happened to Prompto, and your little story with Izunia and the Prince, by the way. They’re with Biggs and Wedge right now, setting up a diversion and that will hopefully let us get around easier. We figured Prompto is held here too. It was…” she trailed off for a moment, trying to decide on the word to use. “Weird on the way here.”

“Weird?” the blonde almost cocked her eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘it was weird’?”

Aranea didn’t reply for a moment, her expression a clean poker face until she said, “Gralea. This Base. It’s completely empty. There’s no one out in the streets of the city, there’s no one inside any of the buildings or houses or offices. Even Zegnautus. I’ve only come across magitek soldiers, but no sign of any living, breathing people.”

Luna’s heart almost stopped beating. Was it Ardyn? Did he somehow manage to enact the Starscourge on a smaller level by containing it in Gralea?

“Before Ravus and I left the Empire, I had gotten word that Verstael was coming up with something big. People were being picked off the streets. I never found out what it was they were doing, but something tells me that whatever caused everyone to disappear was part of their sick experiments with daemons.”

The two women ran through a door and out to a platform that led out to two separate buildings. “I think we should split up,” Luna said, looking down the walkway to her left. Aranea looked unsure and was about to protest when the blonde shook her head. “There’s no time. Prompto has already been here for two, three days, and Ravus is somewhere here too. We need to find them and cover as much ground as we can.”

Aranea grudgingly nodded. “Watch your back,” she replied. “There are some MTs that aren’t acting quite right. I think it’s the amount of daemon energy in them, causing them to go rogue.” She then briefly closed her eyes. “I’ll let Gladio and Ignis know where you’re headed, and they’ll catch up with you.”

Nodding appreciatively, both women ran in opposite directions, and Luna prayed her hardest that she wouldn’t encounter any daemons or magitek soldiers along the way with her powers out of commission. Aranea wasn’t kidding- Zegnautus Base was _completely deserted._ There wasn’t a single soldier around, no one to talk to, and the streets of Gralea were oddly silent. There was no white noise, no sounds of traffic or life, and that, more than anything else, was what scared her about her surroundings. The entire place was _dead_.

And then- there. A small scuffle of feet, a snickering sound, and eyes peering at her from the darkness. Luna stopped running, her heart pounding in her ears as fear seized her, and she realized too late that daemons had appeared from the dark, and she had _run right into a nest of them_. Her eyes darted around, trying to number them and pick them out as best she could like Gladio had taught her before.

_One, two, three-_

_One-_

_One, two, four-_

Her concentration kept slipping, the snickering kept getting louder, more eyes were appearing in the dark, and _she still couldn’t summon her weapons_. Her powers remained dormant, unresponsive, and Luna was on her metaphorical knees just begging for it to work, yanking with all her strength at the emptiness inside. When nothing moved, she ground her teeth together, trying to bring herself back to the present. Okay. No weapons, no magic.

_Quick. Find some way to defend yourself._

Luna was three hundred percent sure it was pure luck that an old lead pipe was just a few feet away from her, and she crouched slowly, reaching toward the makeshift weapon while trying not to alert the daemons surrounding her too much or provoke them into attacking. The rusted metal couldn’t compare to the feeling of her trident, her lance, or any of the swords she had at her disposal, but it was the best she could do at the moment. She took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then let it out.

She was here for Prompto. She was here for Ravus. She promised Noctis that she would fulfill his destiny, that she would restore light to the world, and if it meant braving the Empire and taking it down from the inside like this, then so be it. She had promised Gladio and Ignis and Cor and Iris and Aranea and Cindy and Cid and so many countless others that she would save the world. She wouldn’t let it fall to darkness. She was not about to break that promise.

Like an ember growing into a flame, Luna felt purpose burn through her fear and anchor her to reality. Shifting the pipe in front of her, she shifted into a stance and waited…and then a heavy weight dropped onto her mind like an anvil. She hissed in pain before she was knocked onto her knees, an overflowing, overwhelming magic taking over her senses. For a moment, she was blinded as everything around her was covered in a bright light, and then something burned her skin right underneath her collarbone. Her hand flew up to her necklace, where the Ring of the Lucii was _glowing_.

_You are ready._

Luna’s eyes snapped open to the dark of the Imperial Base just as all the daemons in the nest reared back and leapt at her. She didn’t have time to panic or second guess herself; she ripped the ring off of her necklace, the chain breaking as the necklace clattered to the floor, and slammed it onto the middle finger on her right hand. Crystal shards immediately appeared, gathering in the middle of the area as it grew, feeding on light and crystals and then _exploded_ ¸ leaving nothing alive in the aftermath. Luna, who had her arms up crossed in front of her face, looked around in wonder. The Ring of the Lucii seemed to hum on her hand, to whisper to her the hidden powers that were contained within that she now possessed.

Daemon bodies were ripped apart and smoking on the floor, the dark blood oozing out of their torn carcasses. The Queen picked up her necklace to tuck it into her jacket pocket, looked at the Ring, closed her hand into a fist, and then continued on.

* * *

Winding hallways and corners and never ending darkness. Everywhere Luna went, it all looked the same to her as she searched every room, ran down every corridor. There had to be an easier way to find Ravus and Prompto.

The screeching sound of metal grinding against metal reached her ears and stopped her train of thought, her heart immediately leaping to her throat. Thinking quickly, Luna spied a gap in the wall and slid into it as the sound grew closer and closer, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut and hold her breath until the figure passed by, and she could finally see what it was.

It was a magitek soldier on patrol. But there was something off about it- its knees were bent and it was slumped over, arms hanging limply by its sides, its axe dragging across the floor. Not only that, but this one was _alone_. She frowned. Magitek soldiers were _never_ alone; their technology and combative skills weren’t enough to warrant there only being one of them at any post. At least, that’s what Ravus had told her, a long time ago. The more she looked at the retreating back of the MT, the weirder it seemed to her. She couldn’t help the breathy “what the…” that escaped her mouth as she scrutinized the soldier.

Luna immediately regretted ever dropping her guard. She hadn’t even said it that loudly, but the magitek soldier heard it anyway, and its mechanical head immediately swerved to where she was, the red of its eyes blinking rapidly on and off. Gasping, she tried to push herself closer against the inner wall of the gap, but the MT was there in a moment, grabbing her left arm and dragging her out of the crevasse, throwing her to the floor while raising its axe high above the ground. Luna grunted in pain when she made contact with the cold metal, rolling out of the way just as the axe came down.

Aranea’s words came back to her-

_There are some MTs that aren’t acting quite right._

_Well, shi-_

Luna didn’t get to finish her thought or reprimand herself for her uncouth use of language- she will swear up and down later when she’s had the chance to think about it that it was all Gladio and Prompto’s faults- when the MT charged at her again. She gripped her right fist tightly, feeling the heat of the Ring surge through her, its foreign magic burrowing itself into her powers and forging a new bond, one that pulled at her life force. It was then she felt the tingle in the back of her mind, the one that told her-

Noctis’ Engine Blade appeared in her right hand as the Ring gathered light, and an almost savage smirk appeared on her lips as she looked back up at the rogue MT attempting to take her life with a wildly-swinging axe. The Ring of the Lucii had not only added on to her powers, but had unlocked whatever was keeping her Oracle’s Powers and the Power of Kings dormant. Within moments, the MT was scrap metal at her feet, and as the adrenaline began to fade, Luna looked at the sword in her hand and let out a small laugh before dismissing it. Without the rush pumping through her veins, she could feel the cuts and bruises she sustained through the battle, wincing when she poked a particularly bad bruise on her left shoulder when the MT had thrown her down. Heaving a sigh, she shook her head.

Concentrate. Luna closed her eyes and reached out with her powers, praying that it would work, that she would feel some sort of ripple, some sort of energy telling her where her friends and her brother were.

Her blue eyes flew open as she felt something just a little further ahead. She broke into a dead run, knowing she was so close, so close to rescuing someone she cared about, and with her powers as they were now, nothing here could stand in her way.

Bursting through the door in front of her, she stopped and almost collapsed in relief when she found Prompto in the middle of the room, hanging suspended against a board with electric currents keeping his hands and feet in place. She immediately rushed over to him, putting a hand on his cheek.

“Prompto? Prompto, can you hear me?” Luna called softly. Her Oracle’s magic gathered in her hand, the warm glow easing itself into the other blond, healing all of his surface injuries. Slowly, Prompto’s eyes opened to look at her groggily, as if trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

“Luna?” his asked, his voice hoarse and raspy. His lips were dry and cracked, trembling slightly when he attempted to speak. “That you? You came?”

She almost rolled her eyes, despite her wide smile. “Of course we came for you. Gladio, Ignis, and Aranea are here too.”

To her surprise, tears pooled in his eyes as lowered his head. “You came. You came.”

Luna bit her lip- she needed to get them out of there now. “Hang on,” she told him, trying to find some sort of way to disable his shackles. The sound of the door slamming behind her almost made her jump, her hands stopping as she heard clapping.

_There was someone else in here._

Slowly, she turned around, dreading what she would see.

It was a woman with long, loose, blonde hair flowing down her back. She had on a white short-sleeved cardigan over a black top and a belted black skirt with knee-high boots. A rapier hung at her waist, her blue eyes staring into Luna’s mockingly.

“Lunafreya Nox _Caelum_ ,” she almost purred. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Luna shifted into a defensive stance in front of Prompto, ready at a moment’s notice to draw her weapons. “Who are you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

The woman put her hands behind her back, a Cheshire-like grin her on her face. “I’ve been waiting to meet you a long, long time. My name is Stella Nox Fleuret.”


	14. Starlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella’s mocking laugh tore at Luna, her blue eyes filled with an almost-crazed fury. “Shut up!” she yelled, raising her rapier to Luna’s face. “Until you’ve been where I’ve been and suffered as I’ve suffered, don’t tell me what I do or don’t need!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE A VERY GOOD REASON FOR NOT UPDATING FOR SO LONG, and that's because my laptop charger died, so I had to order a new one and wait for that to come in (and finish the second half of this chapter). Sorry (not) that I left you guys with a huge cliffhanger last time! I'm back now, and I'm making up for the long wait with SIX THOUSAND AND TWENTY-SEVEN WORDS. I hope y'all enjoy, because I'm quite sick of rereading six thousand words over and over again ;p thanks for waiting!!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: mild mention/attempted suicide
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The soft pitter-patter of water dripping down from the ceiling onto the small puddle below was the only sound in the room.

_Was this another lie? Another illusion created by Ardyn to derail her?_

“You’re lying,” Luna managed to say through the shock, the impossibility of the other woman’s words completely blindsiding her. “Ravus and I are the only Fleurets left. There’s no way what you’re telling me is true. That’s impossible.”

Stella folded her left arm across her body, her right elbow resting on it as she tapped her chin with her index finger, pretending to be lost in thought. “You’re right,” she mused as she paced. “You and Ravus _are_ the end of the Fleuret line. But do you even count? You’re a Caelum now,” she smirked. “No, I’m not telling you we’re related. I have your last name,” she said, stopping her pacing in front of Luna. The corner of her mouth lifted even more. “Because I _am_ you.”

For the hundredth time that day, Luna was overtaken by surprise, her anger simmering just underneath the surface of her confusion.

“What does that even mean?” she asked glaring at the only thing standing between her, Prompto, and the door.

The other blonde clasped her hands behind her back, a hard look in her eyes although the taunting smile on her lips remained- something that bore a resemblance to Ardyn. It was enough to make Luna shiver, and she tightened her clenched fists.

“You see, _Luna_ ,” Stella started, emphasizing her name as she began to pace again. “Originally, I had nothing to do with you. I didn’t even know you. No, I was part of the Empire’s so-called breeding program,” she explained, looking at Luna with a calm expression, but there were so many emotions swirling in the depths of her blue eyes. “Just another human created for military purposes, you know. Until one day, they told me I had a different purpose. That I was special, and was destined for more than what I was meant to be. So they took me from wherever it was I called home, and they brought me in, and told me that I was going to be more powerful than ever before. That I would be the one who would bring honor and glory to the Empire, that I was going to destroy the biggest threat against its goal of world peace.”

“World peace?” Luna scoffed. “The Empire wanted power, and they wanted to take over the world. Their peace would be nothing more than a dictatorship, and whoever stood in their way or against them would be killed.”

“As they should be,” the other blonde snapped before her expression melted back into a smile. “Twelve years ago, Verstael tried to go through with an experiment where he took DNA from a particular host and transferred it to another host, another vessel, purging everything that made the vessel…well, them. I suppose it was an attempt at cloning, but the new vessel wasn’t created. No, they had to rip away the foundations of what made that particular vessel their own person in order to complete the process.”

Luna narrowed her eyes. _What was she getting at?_

“This experiment was done in the hopes that by taking DNA from the original host and transferring it to the vessel, the vessel would inherit the same powers as the host. That way, the host wouldn’t be needed anymore.” As she talked, Stella brought her arms back in front of her, her left hand gripping her right arm where, when Luna looked closer, the perfectly straight mark of light-colored skin almost glowed as she noticed the half-faded scar. Then, the pieces all fell into place, and a cold dread settled in the pit of her stomach, turning her insides into ice. Her stance fell slack, her clenched hands falling limply to her sides as she felt the wind knocked out of her.

“The experiment failed,” Stella continued, her voice a tad softer. “The vessel took in the new DNA, but its body was failing. It should have died.”

“I don’t…” Luna tried to say, but her words kept failing her. “I d…I don’t…why don’t I remember any of this?!”

No matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t bring up a single memory of what Stella was saying. There was nothing there, no recollection of anything like this happening to her twelve years ago. Between being taken from Tenebrae to Gralea and back for her Oracle’s training, there was nothing in her consciousness that was evidence to her claims. Slowly, Stella dragged her gaze to meet Luna’s, and the latter recoiled from what she saw in them- emptiness. Stella’s blue eyes were dead, as if someone had sucked the life out of her when she was telling her story.

“It was called the Angelgard Project,” she said monotonously. “It was supposed to be the Empire’s trump card. Once they could replicate the Oracle’s Powers, they would have an Oracle under their control, and the original Oracle that had no allegiance to the Empire could be discarded.” _Killed_. “You don’t remember, because you were put to sleep. But me?”

It was as if all the emotions had hit Stella all at once. The emptiness in her eyes were replaced by pure rage, and she took her rapier in her right hand, immediately pointing the weapon at Luna. “They took my memories,” she hissed. “They took my life, they took who I was, and then they just forced me to be another person. You don’t remember anything,” the angry blonde held her rapier in a death grip, her hand turning white. “While I remember the _pain._ ”

What anger Stella felt, Luna mirrored with guilt, with sadness, and pity. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered hoarsely, unable to properly voice her words.

Like she hadn’t spoken, Stella’s rage and pain and bitterness came pouring like a waterfall. “Do you have any idea,” she gritted out. “How it feels when you can’t remember anything, and yet, the pain makes you remember because it was just that bad? That the first memory you have of your life is lying in a bed, being told that you were a failure? That you now had no purpose, because after what had happened to you, you weren’t even supposed to be alive? That you weren’t even your own person, you were a copy of someone else? That you would never remember who you used to be, that everything you were was gone, that who you were didn’t matter- that the only thing that mattered was _you weren’t good enough._ ”

The rapier in her hand began to tremble. “Ardyn Izunia took me in when I didn’t die,” Stella said bitterly, pulling her gaze from Luna’s stunned ones to the floor in the corner of the room where the puddle was growing steadily. “I owe him my life. And he kept telling me as I grew up, that I still had something in my life to give me meaning. That I was not a failure, even after I tried time and time again to harness the Oracle’s Powers and failed.”

Her ice-cold blue eyes snapped up then, causing Luna to almost stumble backwards from the intensity of her gaze. “All I had to do was to train, train to be better, train to be good enough, and then one day, I would be able to kill the Prince, Noctis Lucis Caelum, I would be able to kill you, and then my life would have _purpose._ ”

She raised her rapier toward the other blonde, who had yet to summon a weapon into her hands. There was nothing but hatred, anger, and bitterness in her eyes. “I have trained all my life to kill you,” Stella told Luna in a venomous tone. “I _will_ kill you, and when you die, Lunafreya, I’ll finally be able to say I had something to live for.”

That was all the warning Luna got before Stella lunged toward her, rapier slashing down and barely missing her as she rolled out of the way in the nick of time. She held out her hand as Noctis’ blade appeared, blocking the next rapid hit from the angry blonde. Stella attacked relentlessly with great skill, forcing Luna to go on the defensive. Her footwork was unmatched; there was no way for Luna to keep up, instead doing her best in staying mobile with her bent knees and her instincts. Stella had her backed into a corner then, and as she raised her blade to block the flurry of attacks, Luna’s foot gave way, causing her to tumble onto the floor ungraciously, landing on her right side. This was the opening she had been waiting for- Stella flicked the rapier across Luna’s face, managing to cut her left cheek.

Quickly looking down, Luna winced when she saw she had slid because of the puddle made from the water dripping from the ceiling. She felt a couple of trails of warm blood trickle down the side of her cheek, dimly aware of Prompto’s hoarse cry of her name. Stella raised her rapier in her face threateningly, as if toying with her. “There,” she purred. “Isn’t that better?”

The blonde lurched forward, and the only thing that saved Luna was her quick thinking and instincts, throwing herself underneath the attack and rolling out of the corner. She barely raised her weapon before Stella was on her already, drawing her rapier down, up, and over in a wide butterfly sweep. Luna threw her sword up to intercept the blow, causing a loud _CLANG!_ to ring through the room. She gritted her teeth at the emotions fighting against one another inside of her- was it from sadness, knowing Stella’s story? Was it pity? Was it anger? Was it desperation?

“You think you’re better because you’re the Original,” Stella growled as she smashed her weapon against Luna’s, pulling back and attempting to land another hit. Her onslaught became even fiercer, barely leaving Luna enough time to breathe and think. “You will never know how it felt to be reminded that your existence was a mistake.”

“No- that’s not-“ Luna tried to say, but her defense demanded all of her attention, her heart and her mind split in two completely different ways. Logic demanded Stella be defeated by any means necessary to save both Prompto and herself, not to mention the fact that Aranea and the others would be looking for them. But her heart, her compassion, said otherwise. She couldn’t even begin to empathize. To be brought into this world not out of love like Luna, but out of war and necessity. To be brought up alone, not like growing up with Ravus and Pryna and Umbra and Noctis. To be told repeatedly that your life had no meaning. Stella had mentioned that fact so many times within the past minutes that Luna had known her that Luna was _positive_ Stella must have heard it so often she just accepted it. Ardyn Izunia took her in and manipulated her, turned her into a killing machine all to give Stella the affirmation she didn’t need to be her own person.

Even now, she was cold, bitter, angry, alone, and buried under a mountain of hurt that Luna couldn’t understand. In her loneliness, Luna had Umbra, Luna had Pryna, Luna had Ravus and Noctis and the blooming sylleblossom hills of Tenebrae. In her loneliness, Stella had cold cement walls and a sword. Now, Luna had her friends, her loyal companions who had pledged their allegiance and friendship to her, whether it was out of loyalty to Noctis or because they had gotten to know _her_. Now, Stella had an Empire without a single soul, a dead Empire in perpetual winter and darkness.

Luna couldn’t fault Stella for her anger and bitterness. She couldn’t help but wonder, what if the experiment had succeeded? Would Stella be in her position? Would she still have been loyal to the Empire, or would her Oracle’s Powers urged her to carry out the duties of the Oracle? To have her help Noctis instead of serving someone who manipulated her into a person full of rage, seeking acceptance?

Then again, Luna herself had wanted those very things as well when she first began her journey. It was no stroke of luck that Gladio and Prompto and Cindy had so readily accepted her, that she had earned Ignis and Iris and Cor’s trust; no, she had desired their approval, had Noctis to have earned their loyalty, had worked to prove herself and to build mutual trust in and out of battle. The real question would be, would she have ended up like Stella without everyone who had banded together by her side to support her and walk with her? Would she harbor the same resentment if she had no one to fall back on, forced to face this dark path alone?

Stella’s enraged face as she delivered strike after strike resonated within Luna, her gut twisting with the ache in her chest she felt for her. Something must have shown in her expression, because the fire in Stella’s eyes grew into an icy inferno as her attacks became more brutal, heavier, and faster.

“Don’t you dare pity me,” she spat, slamming her rapier down onto Luna’s sword. “I don’t need your pity! I don’t need _anything_ from you!” Stella came down with a lighting fast strike, the impact reverberating through the Engine Blade into Luna’s arm. She groaned; she would feel that one later.

The fight was dragging on far too long, and Luna was tiring quickly. She had no choice, she couldn’t get a hit in with the defense she had to keep up during Stella’s relentless assault. Jumping out of the way, she switched out the Engine Blade for a polearm, her Flayer lance able to block the other blonde’s attacks more efficiently. Stella’s rapier slid off the weapon, and Luna found an opening...

But she wasn’t nearly as fast as Stella, who blocked the attack and moved her rapier sideways, rendering Luna’s strike useless. Taking advantage of the short moment of wait time Luna needed to recover and counter, Stella thrust her rapier in the opening, barely nicking Luna’s right arm. The shallow gash wasn’t enough for Luna to start panicking; instead, she focused on Stella’s attack pattern. She was a skilled opponent, there was no doubt about that. And if she was to be believed, she had been training for combat all her life, which placed Luna at an enormous disadvantage. The only thing that could give her an edge in the fight was magic, which she couldn’t use with Prompto so close and with them in such a small room.

Frustrated, Luna raised her Flayer when she blocked Stella’s strike, using force to make the blonde take a step back. To her surprise, a feral grin appeared on Stella’s lips, her chest heaving as she took in short breaths. “That’s it, Lunafreya,” she said. “There’s the fire I was looking for.” She raised her left hand up to her chest, clenching it into a tight fist. “I’m going to put it out. And when I do, that’s when you’ll know- that’s when Ardyn will know- that I’ve succeeded. That I’ve become what you could never be. That I’ve become _better_ than the Original, and that I’ll be a Copy no more.”

“Stella, open your eyes! You _are_ your own person!” Luna pleaded with her, her hands tightening their grip on her lance so hard her knuckles were turning white. Red callouses blossomed on her palms, and she ignored the stinging on her cheek. “You don’t need to prove anything or to have anyone’s validation! You’re who you are!”

Stella’s mocking laugh tore at Luna, her blue eyes filled with an almost-crazed fury. “Shut up!” she yelled, raising her rapier to Luna’s face. “Until you’ve been where I’ve been and suffered as I’ve suffered, _don’t tell me what I do or don’t need_!”

She burst forward, and Luna had to once again duck to avoid her attack, wielding the polearm best she could in the small room. Luna wanted to sigh, the kind of sigh that came before the building of tears in her eyes- what would it take for Stella to see just how wrong she was? That the two of them were more similar than she thought? Of course, Luna could never claim to know her pain- but that she had been _lonely_ too, that she was _still_ lonely, that the powers given to her _demanded_ her loneliness. That she was made better by those around her, that she had been changed by having them.

“You’ll never know how it felt to be denied, time and time again growing up, to be let out of Gralea,” Stella snarled. “To be let out of this _base._ ”

Her words punched Luna in the gut, quickly followed by a physical strike to her cheek, causing her to fall to the ground, and Luna dismissed her polearm to summon the Engine Blade again instead. Her cheek throbbed from the pain, but it was the implication in Stella’s angry outburst that had hit her the hardest.

_Stella had never seen anything outside of these walls that she could remember._

Growing up as a captive of the Empire, of course there were moments Luna would rather not relive where she was locked into dark rooms, officers of the Imperial Army throwing her to the floor like a rag doll whenever she refused to help them with her powers, whenever she had stood against them. But to be restrained in the same building for twelve years? She had known the Empire’s cruelty firsthand, like many others in Eos, but Stella was on an entirely different level. Rage directed at Ardyn Izunia burned in Luna’s stomach, rage for the life he had deprived Stella of, rage for the emotional manipulation he had put her through, rage for Noctis, rage for Ignis and Gladio and Prompto, rage for Lucis, rage for Eos for the last _two thousand years_.

“You’ll never know how it felt to have your first memory be one of someone telling you that the first twelve years of your life didn’t exist!” Stella lashed out as she smashed her rapier down onto Luna’s blade, her anger fueling her attacks. “You’ll never know how it felt to be told it was _your fault that your memories are gone, that your life has no purpose, all because you weren’t good enough_!”

With each word, Stella’s assault became stronger and stronger until Luna’s arms felt like they were about to give way, each hit creating another small dent on Noctis’ sword. She gritted her teeth; she had to wait it out, wait for her chance, wait for Stella to let up-

Only, she didn’t. If anything, her attacks became wilder, fiercer, and then, with one enraged blow, _Stella’s rapier shattered._

Both blondes stopped at that point to look at the broken blade that was lying on the ground in shock, each breathing heavily with racing hearts. Slowly, Luna lowered her arms, her sword tip resting against the cement floor as she took in Stella’s shaking frame in front of her. Stella’s eyes were fixed on the shattered weapon, and the air was tense, silent for a moment before she let out a loud, high-pitched laugh, almost causing Luna to jump and raise her weapon with her frazzled nerves.

Stella continued to laugh, louder and louder and louder until Luna saw the tears that streamed from her eyes when she finally lifted her head as she crashed onto her knees, holding the broken hilt in her hand. She didn’t stop; her sobs were increasing in intensity and volume, her tears flowing down her cheeks to her neck, casing her white cardigan to stick to her collarbone and shoulders. Luna didn’t know how long she stood there, waiting, but it felt like a long time until Stella’s cries gave way to quiet sniffling, her blue eyes still not meeting Luna’s.

“Of course you won. You’re the Original,” Stella said, voice hoarse.

Luna wanted so badly to correct her, to let her know that _no,_ that had nothing to do with it, that Stella still had a chance to build a life for herself and to start over- but she knew that her pleas would fall to deaf ears.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Casting another look at the woman on the floor, Luna tiredly dismissed her sword to make her way over to Prompto, searching for a way to undo his cuffs. It didn’t take her long to figure it out; her friend tumbled off the board, taking her by surprise, and Luna bit back a wince as the weight of them both caused her to crash onto her knees. Prompto weakly lifted his head.

“Sorry,” he mumbled apologetically as she carefully looked over him again to make sure her magic healed his injuries.

“Prompto, what did they do to you?”

He grimaced. The past few days had not been fun, being physically beat. That wasn’t even the worst part; no, it was the emotional torment he had been going through. Again and again, Ardyn had tried to get him to give up, to think that there was no way he was important enough to be rescued, that there was no way his “friends” would plan a rescue mission right in the heart of the Empire. Noting his expression, Luna sighed.

_Let’s start off with an easier question._

“How are you feeling?”

Prompto groaned. “Like I fell off a train.”

Instant guilt barreled into Luna. She opened her mouth to spew more apologies when he held up his hand. “No, it’s not your fault, Luna.”

She closed her mouth, leaning back to sit on her calves while he lifted himself off the floor with shaky arms. Prompto looked at her then, a question on the tip of his tongue when his eyes flicked behind her, and with a sudden burst of energy, he tore across the small area to where Stella was. Luna’s heart almost stopped when she saw the blonde pointing the broken end of the rapier at herself, knocked out of the way at the very last second by Prompto, who then collapsed onto the floor next to her.

Not a word was spoken. Stella didn’t move, didn’t react when the gunner gingerly kicked the broken pieces of the sword further away. Everything in Luna screamed for her to go over to where the pair were, but her legs refused to obey her. She could only watch as the scene in front of her slowly unraveled, bit by bit, with every move Prompto made. After clearing the area of any sharp objects, he sat down next to the broken blonde who, not one minute ago, had tried to commit suicide, with a small gap between them so that he didn’t touch her, but close enough for her to know that he was there. Quickly, he gave Luna a look she immediately understood.

_We can’t leave her here._

“My name is Prompto,” he said to Stella, causing a lump to appear in Luna’s throat. “I was raised in Insomnia by a family that adopted me. I grew up an awkward kid. I was chubby and loved to eat.”

His words were soft, spoken even though Stella had yet to react to him or anything he was saying. “And then I found a puppy one day. I didn’t know it at the time, but she belonged to someone else. The person it belonged to asked me to be friends with the Prince, who was in my primary school. But I didn’t think I was good enough to be friends with him.”

Luna’s lower lip trembled; this was news to her. She remembered writing him that letter, thinking that Noctis needed a friend as kind and true as Prompto had been to Pryna. What she didn’t know was his lack of self-confidence to even approach him in the first place. And yet, he did.

“I stopped eating all the unhealthy food, and started running every morning. By the time we reached secondary, I felt confident enough in who I was, how I looked like, to introduce myself,” Prompto continued quietly. Stella didn’t budge an inch. “Noct was my best friend. He never looked down on me because him and Gladio and Iggy, they’re all part of the royal circle. Me, I’m just a kid picked off the side of the road. But he never let that stop us from becoming friends.”

Prompto’s voice cracked a little, and it was enough to send Luna’s tears trickling down. “There’s just one thing I wish I had told Noct before he…before he…”

He couldn’t go on. The blonde hung his head, shaking it when he could no longer keep his emotions at bay. Warm tears hit the cold cement he was sitting on, his voice strained as he tried to get his words out.

“If there’s one thing I regret not telling Noctis, it’s the truth about me,” he croaked out. Luna momentarily forgot how to breathe.

_What was he talking about?_

Without lifting his eyes to look at her, Prompto slowly slid his glove off his right hand to reveal a barcode and a string of numbers that were tattooed onto his wrist, the black markings almost leaping out against his pale skin. He held his arm in front of him where both him and Stella could see it; Luna was frozen in shock on the other side of the room.

“I was a Niflheim test subject too,” he told her, his tone heavy with grief and weariness. “Just like you.”

Hesitantly, Prompto gestured to Stella’s scar, careful not to touch her in case he accidentally set her off. ‘I don’t know exactly how you feel, Stella, but what I do know is that my beginnings don’t make my ending. The guys, Luna, the others- they’ve all helped me out when things got tough. I don’t…I don’t have to be alone through all this.”

At that, he looked carefully up at the Luna, his expression guarded. He was bracing himself for her judgment, for her rejection, but all he saw were realization as she pieced the story together, and gentleness- just like how he imagined Noctis would have reacted in his wildest dreams, best case scenario. His watery eyes closed to let more tears escape in relief, knowing that he was still accepted, still wanted. It banished the nightmares he had of his friends turning on him after discovering the truth, washing away the phantoms that he had faced when Ardyn Izunia had told him over and over he wasn’t worth saving. Swallowing thickly, he continued talking to Stella, rambling on, trying to distract her, trying to get a reaction.

“I think you’re actually a good person,” he said to her quietly.  “I don’t think you’ve had the chance to discover yourself. But…but if you want, you don’t have to be alone doing that either.”

He could see the way her hands trembled just slightly, the way her fingers twitched, as if she wanted to reach out, to grab on to something, anything. Encouraged, Prompto pressed on.

“Growing up, I had this camera. My- my parents,” he choked on the word. “Gave it to me. They were always busy with work, so I spent a lot of time by myself. And, uh, I took a lot of pictures. I really like taking pictures, wish I had it with me so I could show you some. Some of the stuff I’ve seen, you wouldn’t believe it. But you know, the best part is, now you have the chance to go see them for yourself. All the sights. Insomnia looks beautiful, did you know? Before the Empire attacked, the Crown City…man. All the buildings and the lights and city life…it’s really something else. And then there’s Altissia, all full of water and waterfalls. It’s gorgeous.”

He very deliberately did not mention the events that happened in their first visit- Stella didn’t need to know the depth of his own grief…yet. Maybe one day, she might have the chance to, if she so wished. Prompto released a soft sigh.

“Duscae is all wilderness and wild animals, but the air there is the freshest I’ve ever known. It’s really…pretty. All the forests and lakes and the wind in the trees. And all the birds singing. There were a lot of nights we camped out under the stars. Iggy would cook something delicious, and Gladio and Noct…and Luna…and I would all hang out. And the chocobos!”

It may have been Luna’s imagination and stuffed-up nose from her crying earlier that skewed her hearing, but she could swear Prompto’s voice went up a few notches at the mention of the big yellow birds.

“There’s so many kinds of chocobos,” he told Stella. “And there’s so many different colors. There are white ones, pink ones, green ones, blue ones, purple ones…but I think the yellow ones are the cutest. We rescued a chocobo egg once. It was a black chocobo egg; those are really rare. So we brought it back to Wiz’s- he has a chocobo ranch, and then he gave us a call when it hatched. The little guy was the _cutest_ thing I’ve ever seen!” Prompto gushed, wringing his fingers together in order to help keep himself under control in his excitement about the big fluffy birds. He went on to describe them to her, how it felt to ride on one’s back, how it felt when the chocobo curled around him at night to sleep.

He wasn’t expecting a response, he really wasn’t. He had started talking to her without a clear goal in mind, except that she had just tried to kill herself, and that he couldn’t leave her alone, so when she finally said something, he was shocked into speechlessness.

“I’d like to see chocobos one day.”

Stella had said it so softly that Luna almost thought it was just wishful thinking, her imagination playing tricks on her after the past several hours of insanity. But it was her, even though she didn’t lift her head up or show any signs of having spoken. Looking at Prompto, Luna thought his face would split with how big of a grin he was sporting, filling her with a warmth that reminded her of why she was so grateful for Prompto’s friendship in the first place- he was the one that wore his heart on his sleeve, the one who cared when few others would, the one who gave and gave and expected nothing in return. Even this woman, who had been their enemy, raised to be their enemy, fought them, was intent on killing them, and he saved her, not once, but twice.

Prompto glanced over at Luna, who offered him a warm smile. With a firm nod from her, he stood up, grunting in stiffness and pain, offering a hand to Stella. For the first time, she slowly raised her head to look at him with tear tracks running all the way down her face, her blonde hair knotted where her tears had reached. She didn’t reach for his hand. Instead, she carefully lifted herself off the floor, brushing off her skirt. Her bright blue eyes were now red and puffy, and despite the almost forlorn look on her face, Prompto couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his lips.

“Come on. You want to see the chocobos? I’ll take you to Wiz’s,” he said as cheerfully as he could. Slowly as to not startle her, he took a step in her direction. “You are your own person, Stella. You don’t need Ardyn or anyone else to tell you that. Just stick with me, okay?”

Stella looked lost, looked broken, looked empty when she stared at her broken rapier lying in pieces on the ground before walking resolutely out the door of the room. Luna looked over at Prompto, the best friend anyone could have, and was so grateful, so grateful that Noctis had him, that she had him, fighting alongside her.

“I don’t know how she’ll act once she’s out of here,” he admitted to her quietly. “But I couldn’t leave her here. I looked at her, knowing her story, and I just…I saw me, you know?”

Luna put a hand on his shoulder, silently showing her support. Prompto squeezed his eyes shut for a minute, fighting against the torrent of tears that threatened to fall once again. “Thank you for coming for me, Luna. I really thought, for a moment…that you wouldn’t. But thank you.”

Together, the two blondes followed Stella out the door and down the empty hallway, the exhausted trio stumbling at times due to sheer fatigue. It wasn’t until they heard a loud banging sound that all of them were startled into alertness, with Luna standing at the ready, Prompto running up to Stella, and the latter a frozen look on her face. The door in front of them opened, and Luna was ready to throw something at them _she swears to Shiva she is so tired of this place_ when she saw two very familiar and welcome faces on the other side.

“Prompto! Luna!” Gladio almost yelled, he and Ignis sprinting to them. Immediately, they assessed each other’s injuries- the duo didn’t seem to have sustained anything worse than wrinkles and sweat matted into their shirts, but the other three were a different story.

“What happened? Who is this?” Ignis asked, his eyes flicking over to Stella.

“Long story,” Prompto replied. “But she’s okay. She’s coming with us. This is Stella.”

Not mentioning her last name at that moment was a smart move. They could deal with questions after leaving Gralea.

“Are you all right?”

Gladio’s eyes bore holes into Luna’s head, quickly taking stock of the scratch she had on her cheek. She wanted to laugh out of pure relief, but she held herself back, clearing her throat.

“I’m fine. You all? Did you find Ravus? Where is Aranea?”

“We haven’t found him yet,” Ignis cut in, the brunette sighing. “But we’re sure to bump into him when we make our way out. Aranea has prepared an escape route for us after pointing us in your direction.”

Prompto was nearly brought down to his knees when Gladio slapped a hand onto his shoulder. “It’s good to have you back, buddy,” he said, his tone thick with emotion.

Nervously, the blond fiddled with his glove. “Guys, there’s something I need to tell you-“

Luna immediately caught on. “It can wait until later, Prompto,” she said, intervening, to his surprise. “When we have time to sit down, breathe, and process everything. It’s okay.”

He couldn’t argue with her- it was silly, but he had the overwhelming fear that if he didn’t show his friends now, they would somehow hate him for it when they sat down to think about what he was going to tell them.

Prompto instantly squashed that thought. _No. Lies._ They were his best friends. If Luna, whom he had been friends with for only a few weeks, could accept him because she knew him, his brothers would too.

“But there’s something else you need to know about this place,” Luna told them. “I don’t know if Aranea mentioned this to you, but it is well-known that the Empire has used technology to develop daemons for warfare for many years now. On our way, Aranea and I didn’t see a single person…I think…” she blew out a breath. “I think something really bad happened, and everyone was daemonized.”

The three men froze. “Verstael and his experiments. Aranea mentioned this before. So did Ravus. I’m certain that something weird happened here, that’s why there are daemon nests and rogue magitek here.”

Ignis wasted no time, looking toward the direction he and Gladio came from.

“Aranea and her men are readying a ship to take us back into Lucis in the hangar. Let’s move.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've had Stella planned out since the beginning of this fic; she was the character I was most excited to introduce because it would be a complete plot twist, but I didn't know how FREAKING DIFFICULT she would be to write until I actually had to sit down to write this chapter. I think I've changed her backstory like five times now in order to kind of work out the kinks in the plot. Also, I didn't realize it sounded like Xion in Kingdom Hearts until I started writing it and was like...wait a sec. This sounds so familiar. 
> 
> Like it? Hate it? Want her to die? What her to see the chocobos? Let me know in the comments! Your feedback is very, very, very much appreciated, and will definitely play a major role in the shaping of the rest of the plot :)


	15. Lux Aeterna Ex Armiger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, the end was in sight. Here was the Crystal that rightfully belonged to Lucis. Here was her and Noctis’ destiny, and should Ardyn Izunia stand in her way, she was going to run him through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends!
> 
> This was another difficult chapter to get through...although I do kind of like how it turned out. Sorry for the wait, thank you guys for the support and kudos and stuff OHMYPAWS you guys are the best. Here's another 4662 words in return. 
> 
> Pro tip: listen to Ravus Aeterna on repeat this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

Running through Zegnautus this time with her companions filled Luna with a new sense of purpose; while she had always had a mission, knowing she had backup gave her renewed energy to keep going. The group still needed to find Ravus and meet with Aranea in the hangar to regroup and come up with a new strategy with all the information they had acquired…and for them to discuss a few things. She cast a careful glance over to Prompto, who had his eyebrows scrunched in concentration as he ran. Stella was just a few paces ahead of him in the silent acknowledgement that she would lead them where Ignis had told them Aranea was waiting. The blonde’s face was a mask of serenity, but Luna wondered just how calm Stella really was after the life-changing hour she just had. Having your whole world come undone, well, Luna could empathize. She smiled wryly; she and Stella really needed to sit down one day to talk. Whenever she was ready- whenever they both were ready.

As she ran, she concentrated her power like before when she was looking for Prompto and pushed outward, trying to feel any sort of life inside the base. Where was Ravus? It had been hours since Ardyn told her about him, but there was every reason to believe that he had been lying. Perhaps he was fine. Perhaps he wasn’t even in Gralea. Perhaps-

 _There_. There was a small blip of energy, and they were running _right toward it_. Her heart began to beat faster as they got closer and closer, the excitement threatening to burst from her chest until she reminded herself to concentrate. They had to get to their destination in one piece before she could reunite with her brother.

The lack of enemies and daemons in their way sounded a soft warning bell in the back of Luna’s mind. It wasn’t that she was complaining, but something didn’t feel right. The group’s footfalls as they ran, the even, steady breaths of the others did nothing to calm her; if anything, they just made the silence of their surroundings more deafening. As they burst from the side hallway out to a large loading bay that seemed to lead to the hangar, they all skidded to a stop when they saw a tall blond man standing in the middle with his back to them.

Luna’s heartbeat thundered in her ears, her breaths coming quicker. There, that faint pulse she had been feeling. She licked her lips.

“Ravus?” She asked hesitantly.

She felt it before she saw it. There was something wrong with her brother, and as he slowly turned to face them, she barely managed to stop the scream that threatened to erupt. Gladio instantly stepped in front of her, sword at the ready and pointed at the _thing_ that used to be Ravus Nox Fleuret.

Her brother’s usual white regal uniform was ripped and torn, dirtied and crusted with old, brown blood. His once-platinum blond hair had been drowned in black, black roots spilling down the left side of his body from the top of his head to the gauntlets on his legs. The blackness pooled in his eyes and slid down his cheeks like tears, his expression contorted in pain and desperation, as if he had been crying at the moment of his transformation. Black veins sprawled across his bare chest where his uniform was shredded, constricting around his torso and pulsed as though he had a heartbeat.

_Wrong, wrong, wrong, this was all wrong._

The entire right side of his body was daemonized, the dark veins slowly making their way across his body. It looked as if someone had taken a part of General Glauca and had smashed him into Ravus, creating this hybrid monstrosity with a horn on the side of his head.

The rage that Luna had felt toward Ardyn on Stella’s behalf came back twice as powerful, and she held onto it, letting it burn through her heartbreak, letting it anchor her through her despair that she had no time to deal with.

Ravus was dead. Her brother, the last of her family, was gone. The one who did what he could to protect her- yes, he made mistakes, but he was the one who always came around in the end, because after their mother died, all the Nox Fleuret siblings could do was hold on to each other.

“Luna?” Ignis asked gently from her side. The consideration and respect he was showing her- it was her brother, her decision- was enough to steel her resolve. Luna looked once more at the groaning creature advancing slowly toward them with its deformed hand outstretched, trying to reach them.

“Lu…na…” it moaned. “Kill me…end it…”

A heartbroken sob broke through Luna’s lips, and the Engine Blade appeared in her right hand, clenching the hilt so hard her knuckles were white and her hand shook.

If this was his last request, then she would honor it.

“I’m ready.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Stella bend her knees with her arm out in front of her in a defensive stance, a pair of Ignis’ daggers he had lent her earlier in her hands while Prompto flanked her from the side. Gladio and Ignis both readied themselves beside her, waiting for her to make the first move. There was no time to lose; Luna grit her teeth, stilled her tears, and ran out to meet what was left of her brother.

The daemon was powerful, there was no doubt about it, but it felt as though the small part of Ravus that retained some sort of humanity, the part that begged her to finish him, was holding it back from completely decimating them. It had all of Ravus’ combat techniques at its disposal in addition to the powerful black energy that it gathered and threw at them, causing the magic to explode underneath their feet. Luna found herself zipping through the attacks, phasing and warping every chance she got to evade both the bursts of dark magic and the wide swings of its rapier-turned-sword. Casting a sideways glance at her friends, she saw how all of them held their own, noting that their attacks were all aimed at the daemonized side of its body. In the midst of battle, she was immensely grateful for that one small detail.

Dark energy gathered like a tornado above Stella, who instantly threw herself out of the way. Gladio seized the opportunity to bring his sword down, barely slashing the monster’s pulsing chest as the creature left itself open during the attack. Luna thrusted her sword at it at the same moment, the blades clanging together as they narrowly struck their target. Ignis and Prompto stood a little further away, the latter providing cover fire and the forming firing off spells whenever Stella, Gladio, and Luna cleared out of the way.

Bringing down the monster wasn’t the difficult part. No, the hardest thing about the fight, the one thing that kept shattering Luna’s heart again and again and again were the cries, the moans of the remains of her brother, asking her to end it all. Ravus was in pain. Her brother was in agony, waiting for her to be merciful and to finish him off, to relieve him from the torture of striding the line between life and death.

Black ooze that none of them would call blood was all over the floor, making the cement slippery as they fought the creature. They were covered in it; with each hit, more of the daemonized blackness spurted out onto them, onto it, onto the ground until it was splashed in the deathblood of the daemon. Each moan from the monster seemed louder, each plea for death seemed more desperate as Luna fought, her breathing coming out in erratic puffs as she struggled not to break down each time she heard it. Gladio, noting her body language and her reactions, did his best to shield her and cover her when it seemed too much, when she stumbled back from the heartbreak and the numbing confusion in the middle of battle before steeling herself and continuing the fight.

It was almost over. She could tell that its strength was dwindling, and then finally, its knees collapsed onto the slippery black floor beneath them with its outstretched arm pointed at her. Its sword clattered onto the ground, where black energy seeped from the sword until it was Ravus’ rapier that was left. Each of Luna’s companions flanked her, watching as the daemon that was once her brother fall onto the cold cement. It was still breathing, still moaning in pain when she finally allowed the hot tears to flow down her cheeks, when they watched on, counting down the breaths it would take until it finally died.

“Lu…na…” the creature groaned, struggling to get the words out. The half of the body that was Ravus attempted to turn itself toward her, but stopped when it saw her stricken face. “The…” it tried to say. “The…the…th…Cry…Cryst…must…get back…Crys…”

It couldn’t even form the sentence or finish its words; as if in slow motion, its chest stopped moving as it stopped breathing, the disturbing pulsing stopped, and its black eyes opened wide before closing, its head dropping to the right onto the cold floor. Even knowing that it wasn’t really Ravus, not anymore, Luna hugged her arms to her body, pinching herself on the side as hard as she could to bring herself back, to stop the tears that were well on their way to being sobs. Her companions all stood by her, waiting and wanting to give her a moment to compose herself. It was Ignis, ever the advisor, who broke the silence.

“Luna, it- he- must have been talking about the Crystal. The Empire must have placed it somewhere in this base after taking it from Insomnia.”

The blonde sniffed loudly, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her jacket. “It needs to be reclaimed if we are to have any hope of defeating Ardyn and pushing back the Starscourge,” she said in a raspy voice, nodding. She couldn’t stop now, not even to mourn her brother. Her brother had sacrificed everything for her to see her save the world, and she was not about to let him down. There was one more name on her list of people whom she was fighting for now, one more that had walked the path with her.

Ignis wasted no time; he grabbed his phone and made a quick call to, Luna presumed, Aranea. She wasn’t paying attention to the one-sided conversation anyway. Instead, she carefully approached the monster that remained of her brother, clenching her fists as she took in the color of its pallid skin, of the dark rivets of daemon energy that ran down his cheeks.

“A sorry end for the high commander…for anyone. He was a man with hopes and dreams,” Gladio murmured behind her, a short eulogy out of respect to Ravus.

“It’s…horrible,” Prompto whispered next to him. The body in front of Luna dissipated into thin air, and though she wasn’t finished saying goodbye, she was also glad to see it go. That was not how she wanted to remember him. She walked to the rapier that lay on the floor, slowly picking it up and weighing it in her hands before she turned to walk to Stella. Surprised, the other blonde stumbled back, causing Luna to stop. She bit her lip, hesitating for just a moment before holding out the weapon.

“My brother…my brother forged his own path with this sword. He fought many battles for the Empire, but he always came around to walk his own path. You should have this,” Luna said quietly. “Please, take it. It’s yours now.”

Stella looked down at the rapier for a moment, admiring the workmanship. She grasped the hilt, taking it out of Luna’s hands and relished in the feeling of holding the blade, so different from her own. To say she was surprised was an understatement; here she was, trained all her life to kill the very person she was now fighting against…for now. For now. Just until she can get out of there and see the chocobos. Stella cleared her throat, dragging her eyes up to meet Luna’s to convey the words she couldn’t say out loud at the moment.

“What kind of fiend makes daemons of men?” Ignis asked from behind them, rejoining the group with his phone clutched in his hand. He turned to Luna, opening his mouth to say something, when Stella suddenly thrust her hand in his direction and stopped him.

Prompto was at her side in an instant. “What is it?”

Stella’s face was a mask of concentration, her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the hangar doors. All of a sudden, her head whipped up at the others around her. “Company,” she finally said right before a loud siren blared and the bay doors opened, daemons and magitek pouring forth from the walkways outside.

“Get ready!” Gladio yelled, brandishing his sword once again. Ignis grabbed Luna’s hand, thrusting his phone into it.

“Aranea sent me blueprints of the base interior,” he explained quickly, eyes darting to the hoard of enemies rushing their way. “According to her, there’s a large area on the top floor that leads the containment chamber where the Crystal is. You’ll have to take the elevator to get up. Take the phone, we’ll hold them off and then join you there. Your priority is to get to the Crystal!”

There wasn’t a moment to lose. Grabbing the phone, she cast one last look at her friends before breaking into a dead run down to the lift at the edge of the loading bay, gritting her teeth to keep from running back to help them. Just as the lift got to the lower floor, the hangar doors at the end of the room began to close, and daemons seemed to appear from all directions. Luna took another glance at the blueprint on Ignis’ phone before she stowed it into her pocket and summoned the Flayer, rushing head-first to meet the unfortunate daemon that got in her way.

She threw her polearm as far as she could, letting out a loud cry as she summoned the Power of Kings and warped her way down the walkway and past the onslaught that came after her. Ardyn’s taunting voice sounded as she desperately warp-ran to the elevator, making her do everything she could to not grind her teeth together in annoyance.

“Betraying your friends for the greater good…the mark of a monarch! Step forth, Your Majesty!”

With one final throw, she propelled herself out of the way of another giant daemon and out the door, landing on the walkway outside.

“If you wish to obtain the Crystal’s power, you must be prepared to lose all else.”

Luna didn’t dare look back at the closing bay doors, resolutely staring at the elevator ahead of her.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” she said quietly, slowing as she approached the elevator, walking inside. She dismissed the Flayer to summon her own Trident, gripping it tightly as though she could siphon strength from simply holding the weapon.

“Do you suppose your dear friends are still alive?” Ardyn’s words echoed in the small elevator.

_Yes. They have to be._

“Those who died for you- do you ever wonder what went through their minds? Can you even recall their final words?”

Luna froze as the image of Noctis’ face flashed through her mind. She wasn’t even conscious for his last words in Altissia. The Glaive who had died on her way to escort her from Tenebrae. Nyx. Ravus. The image of Regis as he was impaled by Glauca’s sword.

_I know your mother would wish the same as me. That you and Noctis live happily. All those years captive because I failed you…not again. Locked doors will seal your fate no longer._

She bit back the sob that threatened to erupt from her, holding onto her Trident even tighter when the doors slid open to reveal the long walkway that lay beyond.

_One step at a time._

The walkway seemed to stretch on forever, with Ardyn’s laugh ringing all around her. She walked on when she saw the dim light at the end of the walkway, the ethereal blue light pulsing gently in the darkness marking her destination.

Ardyn Izunia was standing there, waiting for her in front of the Crystal.

“Your journey is over, Lunafreya,” he purred. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today-“

“You will never succeed,” Luna said, interrupting him. She dismissed her Trident when she spoke, all the events in the past few hours taking an enormous toll on her. It was as if her emotions had just shut down from how _tired_ she was of running around, of fighting the daemons and the Empire, of meeting Stella and dealing with a part of her past she didn’t even know existed, with the death of her brother. Now, the end was in sight. Here was the Crystal that rightfully belonged to Lucis. Here was her and Noctis’ destiny, and should Ardyn Izunia stand in her way, she was going to run him through.

“I _will_ acquire the Power of Kings, Lunafreya, and I _will_ have my revenge, the revenge I’ve waited for so long.” Ardyn’s eyes narrowed and raised his left arm, the one with the Wing of Eos, at her. Before he could react, Luna yanked at her magic and blasted light at him, pouring in her Oracle’s Powers into the hit. Taken by surprise, he threw his arms up as a shield…but still wasn’t fast enough. Half of her magic hit his face, causing him to yell out in pain.

Panting, Luna dropped her hands to a horrifying sight.

Ardyn’s arms uncovered his face enough to show her that the half that was exposed to her magic showed his true face, a terrifying image of bright yellow irises set in sunken black eye sockets, the darkness dripping from both eyes and the corner of his mouth. Dark veins crawled up his neck to his jaw, framed by his long purple-red hair.

“What do you think?” he asked with a mocking laugh. “Your groom awaits, my dear.”

Footsteps thundered down the walkway, Ignis, Prompto, Gladio, and Stella all skidding to a halt in front of the pair.

“Ardyn Izunia?” Ignis breathed out his name as the group all took in his daemonic appearance.

The daemon swept into a bow while taking off his fedora, putting it back on right after with the same mocking smile was on his blackened lips.

“What the hell?” Gladio asked gruffly, his amber eyes flickering between Ardyn and Luna.

“He’s a daemon,” Luna explained quickly. “It sounds impossible, but he’s the one two thousand years ago, the healer that absorbed daemons in the first Starscourge.”

Four pairs of eyes blown wide in disbelief looked at Ardyn, a cold, sickening feeling weighing down their chests.

“Welcome to the beginning of the end,” he said with a feral grin. Raising his left arm again, dark energy gathered in his hand, pointed at the group. He dragged his eyes across the group to rest on Stella, his crazed gaze crinkling in amusement. “Stella, my dear.”

She licked her lips, her throat suddenly dry. “Please,” Stella whispered. “Please, Master. Don’t.”

“In front of the one thing that could give your life meaning and you choose to stand up for her instead of killing her? I taught you better than that,” Ardyn sighed dramatically, playing with the dark magic that waited for his command. “Do you want to remain a meaningless puppet your whole life?”

Stella’s blue eyes flashed dangerously, not unnoticed by her companions or Ardyn, standing in front of her. She drew her rapier, the rapier that Luna had just given her, and pointed it at him. The daemon laughed.

“Come now, after the last twelve years of training, you would rather kill your own Master rather than the person who took your life away from you, all your potential?”

She didn’t move from her stance, her weapon out in front of her and the others. Ardyn’s amused expression fell then, his jawline tensing.

He didn’t even give her a chance to react.

Ardyn threw out the darkness in his hand, and the full blast of the energy hit Stella, who let out a shrill scream. She collapsed as the magic dissipated, slumping onto the floor.

“ _No!_ ” Prompto yelled, running to the fallen blonde and putting two fingers against the pulse point in her neck where he felt a gentle flutter. Very carefully, he pulled her into his arms and back to where Gladio and Ignis stood, stunned at the sudden attack. Rage reflected in the gunner’s normally twinkling blue eyes, a low growl making its way through his gritted teeth.

Stella was completely motionless, the dark magic creating a wound on the left side of her chest. Black veins sprawled out in a circular pattern, the darkness stark against her pale skin. Luna, recovering from the shock, tore across the walkway where her companions stood, and put a hand gently in the space between Stella’s jaw and neck.

“Blessed stars of life and light…” she murmured, praying it would work. Her magic seeped out of her, the warmth flowing into Stella…until it hit a brick wall. No matter how Luna tried, no matter how she pushed, how she prayed, whatever Ardyn had done to her could not be healed.

Her hand slowly slid back down to her side, and Luna felt a brief moment of numbness.

Stella had lived all her life in captivity.

Stella had searched for purpose all these long years, purpose and meaning and _validation_ she already had.

Stella was just starting out a new life, free from Imperial oppression.

Stella was forging a new path for herself, not under anyone else’s shadow.

Stella wanted to see the chocobos.

And now Ardyn had taken that all away. Luna looked into the panicked, grief-stricken eyes of Prompto, took in the shock in both Gladio and Ignis’ expressions, and like a floodgate, all of her anger at Ardyn and her heartbreak for the unconscious woman in front of her _exploded._

The Power of Kings and the Ring of the Lucii reacted to her emotions in a way it never did before, laying bare their full power before her, and Luna grabbed on to it as the power fully melded with her, finally submitting to her as its true Master. Bright crystal shards appeared in the air and lights shot out of Luna’s body when she snapped open her eyes, the Royal Arms of the Kings of Lucis all circling around her as if stalking prey, waiting for her signal to attack.

Ardyn’s deranged smile only grew wider. “That’s it, Lunafreya,” he crooned. “That’s the Power of Kings. That’s the power that belongs to me!”

“ _Never_.”

Luna bit out the word right when her thin band of self-control snapped, and she relinquished control to her fury. The weapons flew around her at a dizzying speed, hitting everything and nothing as it flew around the room, acting on the whims of her anger. She relished in the power for a moment before a startling thought echoed through her mind and blocked everything out.

If she couldn’t get her powers under control, her friends would get hurt.

Panic suddenly rose in her throat, blinding her. In that moment of rationality, the world crashed down onto her, restricting her airway and cutting off her oxygen, her breaths coming out in short pants as Luna fought to overcome the fear that suddenly gripped her in an iron fist. She could feel herself tearing every which way along with the power of each weapon as they struck everything in their mindless attacks, completely out of her control.

Another flash of bright light, and then it was as if time slowed down, the world around her stopping and basking in a soft glow. Luna could hear her heartbeat in her ears, a slow _thump-thump_ when she felt a gentle, barely-there weight on her shoulder. She didn’t need to see the black motorcycle glove or hear the sound of his voice to know who it was, not at this moment when she knew that he was doing everything he could to help her.

_Noctis._

Like flipping a switch, her panic disappeared, and her breathes evened out. Noctis took his hand off her shoulder, instead wrapping them around her waist and resting his forehead against the back of her head. He couldn’t touch her, not really. Maybe it was Luna’s imagination, maybe it was wishful thinking that made him just a little bit more tangible, that he was here with her. It didn’t matter whether his touch could reach her skin, but the power that he channeled through their connection grounded her to him, to the powers that he had given to her, powers that were now hers and hers alone to command.

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

One heartbeat. Two heartbeats.

_Focus._

Luna reached out with Noctis to the Power of Kings, to the call of the Ring of the Lucii and found their powers bending to her will. With each breath she became steadier, her emotions no longer the ones in control of her.

_Thump-thump._

_I am the Queen._

She felt Noctis’ smile before his presence disappeared, and she was thrown back into the moment, the Royal Arms of Lucis stopping in their frenzied flight to concentrate on Ardyn Izunia.

Luna didn’t give him a chance to defend himself. All thirteen Arms rushed at him, knocking him down and unconscious all at once, his fedora rolling off his head onto the walkway. The Royal Arms disappeared as the Queen panted for breath, reining in her emotions to calm down. She gulped down air like water, the last few minutes on loop in a fractured, jagged replay.

Before she could register what was happening, her knees gave way and she would have hit the floor herself if Gladio hadn’t caught her just in time.

“Are you all right, Luna?” Ignis asked, him and Prompto slowly making their way over to them with Stella in the latter’s arms.

Her eyes briefly flicked over to Ardyn’s unconscious form lying just a short distance away, shaking her head. “He’s going to wake up soon,” she said hoarsely. “We need to get out of here.”

Gladio nodded, pulling her up with his thumb looped through one of the belt holes on her shorts and his other hand on her arm. Luna smiled gratefully before nodding, gesturing that she could move herself.

“Oh- here.” She took a sleek black phone out of her pocket with her right hand and gingerly handed it back to Ignis, hoping that she hadn’t damaged it between the fighting and the warping. As she handed it over, the Ring of the Lucii glowed, whispers bursting into Luna’s mind and making her wince.

The Crystal was the whole reason she was here. She needed the Crystal to bring dawn back to Eos. Slow footsteps brought her closer to it, still giving off an unearthly blue glow. On instinct, Luna put her hand on it, hoping to quell the whispers from the Ring and access its powers.

She wasn’t ready for the scream she made when the Crystal grabbed on to her body, shocked and panicked looks on Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto’s faces. Luna tried yanking her hand back out, but the magic binding her to the Crystal was impossible to break as it forced her being to it. There was an enormous light emanating from the Crystal, enveloping her slowly until it swallowed her whole, a light so bright that it blinded her for a few short moments.

Luna closed her eyes and saw stars in the darkness.


	16. Insomnia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That’s probably what it was. She was so tired she dreamt up a long, long nightmare, full of dark paths and twisted hallways. The blonde rubbed a hand over her face, breathing in deeply and holding it there for a moment before letting it out slowly, forcing herself to calm down.
> 
> She was home. She was safe. She was with Noctis and their absolutely angelic daughters. It was just a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry about the wait, planning the flow of this chapter took...a long while. I really, really wanted to get this arc just right, so I wanted to make sure I had everything in place, and then when I started writing, I realized that this could easily be its own story and would surpass 10k words if I wrote it and uploaded it all in one go. SO, I made the executive decision to split this into multiple chapters, with this one at 4446 words :) Very excited to share this next bit with you all, and, as always, your thoughts, feedback, and opinions are always much appreciated!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

It was a soft giggle that first brought Luna back to consciousness.

A quiet hissing of “shhh!” and more giggles encouraged her to try to open her eyes against the extremely heavy weight that was keeping them closed. But really, she didn’t want to wake up- she was cognizant enough to know that she was lying down somewhere, and wherever it was, it came as a close second- to her own home in Tenebrae- to being the most comfortable thing she had ever been on. Cool Altissian cotton, yes, she knew what that felt like, met her skin, the wind gently pushing in the fresh morning air from somewhere. Distant sounds of a busy city reached her ears, and it was that unfamiliar sound that pushed Luna to open her eyes, blinking to get rid of the haze. Her head felt heavy as she dragged herself out of sleep, her throat parched and dry.

She sat up slowly, looking around a bedroom she was certain she had never seen before in her life. It was spacious, large enough to accommodate the huge bed she was sleeping on, flanked on both sides by two night stands. To her right was a vanity with a large mirror, placed next to a desk that was built into the bookshelves that lined the wall. There was a door in the other corner of the room, at an angle from what she could make out was a TV and gaming system. Those were next to even more bookshelves, complete with a small fireplace in the corner of the wall, set next to the windows that spanned all across the last wall on her left. In front of the bed and the bookshelves and game console was a comfortable sitting area so like her own room in Tenebrae, furnished with simple black-and-white armchairs and a couple of small couches. Though the room was sizeable, the furnishings were rather simple.

Luna dragged her tired eyes to the foot of the bed, past the gray bedsheets and comforter, to see two pairs of identical blue eyes, one pair framed by blonde hair and the other black, staring back at her. Before she could say anything, one pair of those eyes jumped up, revealing a little girl with her short black hair in a small French braid.

“Dawnie!” she reprimanded in a high-pitched, childlike voice. “I told you we had to be quiet!”

The other pair of blue eyes narrowed indignantly, the owner of those eyes and blonde hair standing up and putting her small hands on her hips. She looked to be younger than the other girl, her hair in pigtails and her mouth in a small pout.

“I didn’t! Mama just looked so pretty sleeping, and _it was your idea to come in first_!”

Hold on. Mama?

“Was not! I came in to make sure you were behaving!” the raven-haired girl said as she crossed her little arms. She couldn’t have been more than six, Luna guessed, as she watched their exchange.

The blonde- Dawn- huffed and turned to face her.

“Mama! Tell Diana I didn’t mean to wake you up!”

It took Luna a moment to register the fact that the girl was talking to _her._ Try as she might, she couldn’t break out of her shock to even respond; she was sure that if she looked into the mirror at this point, her mouth would be hanging wide open. Luckily, the girls’ attention were diverted from her answer when the bedroom door opened, both of them gasping and running full-speed the length of the room to get there. Diana, being a little taller, got to the doorway first, squealing happily. Dawn reached the door a bit after her, letting out an excited shriek. “Daddy!”

Luna heard a deep chuckle, and immediately began to panic. If they called _her_ Mama, then who-

Noctis Lucis Caelum walked into the room, both Diana and Dawn in his arms.

The blonde on the bed clenched the bedsheets in her hands, biting the insides of her cheeks. What was happening?! This couldn’t be real. Noctis was…Noctis was…her brows furrowed, trying desperately to recall where that thought was going. It was as if there was a gaping hole in her memory; her thoughts were right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t say them out loud, couldn’t remember what they were.

“You’re still in bed?” he asked her as he made his way across the room to the bed, gently setting the girls down on top before sitting next to her and putting a hand on her forehead. “Luna, it’s almost eleven. You feeling okay?”

Luna did her best not to flinch at his touch, taking in deep breaths through her nose to calm herself down.

“Usually, you’re the one who has to drag me out of bed…you know the only reason I’m up today is because Ignis wouldn’t let me skip council meeting,” he chuckled. “But you sleeping in is a first. Are you getting enough sleep?”

The little one, Dawn, crawled over the comforter and bedsheets to Luna, picking up her arm and holding it snugly in front of her so that Luna was hugging her. She curled up in her lap, nestling into her embrace. Luna swallowed hard, forcing a smile. She brought her hand up, gently stroking Dawn’s blonde hair, so like her own, before looking up at Noctis. For a reason she couldn’t quite place, he looked older, happier, than she had ever remembered- and yet, with all that was good about his appearance, Luna mentally frowned, knowing that there was something out of place.

“I’m all right,” she answered, thinking of the best possible way to answer him. “Just a little tired. I…kept waking up last night.”

Diana made her way to them, sitting down between the two adults.

“Daddy, can we go out today? Maybe it’ll help Mama feel better,” the little girl suggested, tugging at Luna’s other arm as she looked at her father. Noctis raised his eyebrows.

“Well, Uncle Ignis said he would cook lunch for us, so we were going to have lunch here, but maybe we could go out after that…maybe out to that ice cream parlor Auntie Crowe said she and Uncle Nyx took you guys to last time? Maybe the park? Luna?” he asked quietly. “You up for a day out?”

When she looked down, both Dawn and Diana were giving her puppy eyes. She smiled.

“Of course,” Luna replied. “Just give me a few minutes to…get ready.”

The girls cheered, scrambling off the bed as Noctis leaned over to kiss her forehead, following his daughters out. As soon as the door closed behind him, Luna’s smile dropped, and she used every trick in her repertoire to keep from hyperventilating when she practically flew out of bed to look out the window, only to see the sprawling city of Insomnia laid before her.

_What the hell is going on?_

She fingered the cool material of her white night slip and looked down at the ring finger on her left hand, where a beautiful ring rested. Her ring had an old mine cut diamond set into a hexagonal top, surrounded by tiny diamonds on the tapered shoulders all around the stone. Luna shook her head, rested her forehead against the cool glass of the window and tried desperately to remember what had happened before she went to sleep, why exactly, if this situation was to be believed- that she and Noctis were married, that they had two adorable girls- she felt so out of place in her own home. Luna squeezed her eyes shut, calling on her Oracle’s training to enter into a meditative state.

_Walls of water, surrounding her on all sides._

_Noctis, twenty years old._

_A flash of light, crystals suspended in the air._

_In her hands, a blade with a hilt that looked like an engine._

_A dragon in the darkness._

_An unrelenting blizzard with a dark figure walking in front of her._

_The top of a train, an enormous black wing on the sleeve of a jacket._

_Darkness. Despair. Hopelessness._

Luna was promptly thrown out of meditation when the images were called forth, the memories so blurred and distorted it had to be a nightmare.

That’s probably what it was. She was so tired she dreamt up a long, long nightmare, full of dark paths and twisted hallways. The blonde rubbed a hand over her face, breathing in deeply and holding it there for a moment before letting it out slowly, forcing herself to calm down.

She was home. She was safe. She was with Noctis and their absolutely angelic daughters. It was just a nightmare. Shaking her head, Luna looked down at her outfit- if she was going to go to the park today, maybe just a white top and a black skirt to match.

* * *

It was strange for some reason, walking down the halls to the dining room and having servants curtsey and bow with a smile and a quiet, “Your Majesty.” Luna relied solely on muscle memory; her legs seemed to know where they were going. She was proved right when she pushed open a door to her family sitting at the rectangular table- this was the room that they used for family dinners, whether it was just them or with their friends, instead of the formal one reserved for parties and banquets, she knew- with Dawn and Diana sitting in two chairs, and with Ignis and Noctis laughing about something in front of one of the windows.

The girls were completely absorbed in their food, and Luna allowed herself a grin until she turned her attention to the two men.

“Ah, Luna,” Ignis greeted her, gesturing to a plate already set on the table, and handed her a mug. She took it from his hands before she looked up at him and gasped in surprise. There was no scar, and instead of the weird shades she thought he usually wore, he had regular spectacles, the ones that Noctis always teased him about.

“Ignis, you’re okay!” Luna said, unable to stop herself, and then immediately clamped her mouth shut. Both he and Noctis raised their eyebrows at her, and she mentally slapped herself.

“Was I not?” the brunet asked, clearly confused.

“N-no,” she stuttered, completely out of character as she gave herself a good metaphorical whack. She never stuttered. “Sorry, I just-“

“Noct told me you didn’t sleep well,” Ignis replied with a smile. “So I brewed you some tea.”

He gestured to the steaming mug in her hands. It was lemon balm, her favorite. Luna could tell he had added honey and just a dash of peppermint, just the way she liked it.

“Thank you,” she murmured gratefully, taking a sip. From the corner of her eye, she could see Dawn pushing away the veggies on her plate, just the way that Noctis did. She almost chuckled.

“Dawn Lucis Caelum-Fleuret,” Ignis said sternly. “You know you have to eat your vegetables.”

The little girl winced at being caught, looking at her father for help. When Noctis only laughed, she pouted and stuck a carrot in her mouth. As soon as the adults looked away, however, she put them on her sister’s plate. Diana, apparently used to such a thing happening, only sighed as heavily as a six-year-old could.

Luna hid her smile in her mug as the lemon balm tea seemed to soothe her frazzled nerves, reminding her that her adorable four-year-old hated vegetables just like her dad, and that her precious older daughter, with a personality just like hers, secretly didn’t mind the additional veggies piled onto her plate at all.

* * *

The tea really did do wonders; after finishing the mug and the wonderful food that never failed to impress her no matter how many times Ignis had cooked instead of the actual chef of the Citadel, Luna found herself to be much more relaxed as she walked hand-in-hand down the halls next to Noctis. Their daughters ran in front of them, both chatting excitedly about the flavor of ice cream they were going to get when someone rounded the corner, and Diana smacked right into them. Before the little girl could fall, strong hands steadied her, and she looked up into the face of-

“Uncle Gladdy!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Sorry!”

Gladio chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately. “You okay, Princess?”

“Gladdy, better watch where you’re going,” Iris said, appearing from the hallway behind him with Cor following. “Knocking over little kids is bad.”

“Hi, Auntie Iris, Uncle Cor,” Dawn waved to the other adults, turning back to Gladio. “Uncle Gladdy, I’m a Princess too!”

Iris bent down to pat Dawn’s head, giggling when Gladio shot her a smile. “Yes, you are!” he said, smiling when she ran up to his other side.

“Uncle Gladdy, do the thing!”

The Shield sighed dramatically, shooting Luna and Noctis a look. To their credit, they managed to not burst out laughing when he lowered both his arms to let the two Princesses grab on, and lifted them up, causing peals of laughter to ring in the air.

“Hey Uncle Gladdy, Auntie Iris, Uncle Cor,” Diana addressed the adults quickly, almost tripping over her own words. “We’re gonna go with Mama and Daddy to get ice cream and go to the park, wanna come?”

There was a rare smile on Cor’s face, the soft, affectionate one reserved only for the two little girls in front of him, when he replied for all three of them. “Uncle Gladdy and Auntie Iris and I have some Crownsguard business to work through today,” he said apologetically. “Next time?”

“That’s right, Iris is officially joining the Crownsguard now that Gladio isn’t an overprotective big brother with her being twenty-two,” Noctis quipped, grinning at the younger Amicitia. “Good luck training with Cor.”

Iris shot him a look. “Thanks. That really helps my nerves, you know.”

“Iris, you’re going to do fine,” her brother told her, lowering Dawn and Diana to the ground. “Luna’s been watching you train- don’t you think she’s ready?”

Despite the fact that she couldn’t remember a single thing about Iris’ combat style, that didn’t stop Luna from smiling at them. “Of course she’s ready.”

* * *

It wasn’t even three minutes after the conversation with the two (and one to-be) Crownsguard members that the family of four bumped into two more people in the halls. Dawn spotted them first, grabbing her sister’s hand and running the rest of the way.

“Uncle Ravus! Auntie Aranea!” the little girl hollered at the top of her lungs, hopping up to her uncle as he caught her and hoisted her into his arms while Diana managed to hug Aranea by the waist on her tippy toes.

At the sight of her brother, Luna froze, the tears instantaneous. She didn’t even realize she had stopped walking until Noctis squeezed her hand, looking back worriedly at her. With a forced smile, she shook her head. Why was she crying? It was just Ravus, whom she saw every day. Her brother whom had eventually overcame his dislike for Noctis and approved of their marriage, who eventually, very subtly began spending more time with the Dragoon next to him, her brother whom had the softest spot for her daughters and never passed up a chance to spoil them rotten.

Then why did she feel as if it had been forever since she had last seen him? Why did she feel as if everything she had remembered about him was wrong? That he, like Noctis, was supposed to be…somewhere else?

“Lunafreya?” Her name fell from Ravus’ mouth in concern, shaking her out of her stupor. All three of the other adults looked at her worriedly, and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Sorry, I just had a late night,” she said, faking a yawn. They clearly didn’t believe her, but Aranea hummed, and they let it slide. Ravus looked at his niece in his arms.

“What are you up to today, hmm?”

“We’re gonna go for ice cream and then-“

“To the park,” Luna beat her youngest daughter in finishing her sentence. Dawn pouted.

“Mama! I was gonna tell Uncle Ravus!”

“Auntie Aranea, wanna come with us?” Diana looked up at the Dragoon pleadingly. Aranea grinned, gently pulling her fingers through the loose strands of the girl’s dark hair.

“Not today, your Uncle Ravus and I have a meeting with Uncle Gladio.”

“I feel kinda bad for missing Iris’ induction into the Crownsguard,” Noctis said, sighing after he realized what their meeting was going to be about. While Cor, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto were officially part of the Crownsguard (and soon adding Iris to their number), Ravus and Aranea acted as a separate group, much like the Kingsglaive, under the Marshal’s instruction. As such, new additions and other big events were agreed upon and inducted by the commanders of both groups. Aranea snorted.

“It’s not even her official induction, I’m sure she won’t mind,” she told him. “But we just saw Prompto and Stella on our way up here, I’m sure they’d love to join you guys.”

 _Stella?_ Her name struck an odd chord within Luna, causing yet another urge to cry.

Dawn squirmed in Ravus’ arms, and he put her down with a pat on her head, turning his attention to his sister. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

Luna lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her brother briefly before managing a smile. He smoothed her hair, quietly murmuring to her. “Maybe you should go talk to Stella about whatever’s happening, it’ll do you some good to spend some time with just you two sisters.”

If she wasn’t so preoccupied, she would have choked at his words. What did he mean, ‘sister’?

* * *

Following Aranea’s instructions, the family of four did indeed manage to find the couple in the Citadel gardens. Letting go of his wife’s hand, Noctis bent down to his daughters and whispered a plan of attack, the three of them smothering their giggles before launching into action. Dawn and Diana both ran quietly (as quietly as a six-year-old and a four-year-old could…which was not quietly at all) to the sides of the room, diving behind the tall plants like their father had told them to. If Prompto and Stella, who were in the middle of the gardens and talking and laughing to each other, heard any of the rustling in the plants, then they didn’t acknowledge them. Instead, when the girls jumped out of the plants with a dramatic “BOO!” each with loud cackles, they both pretended to be surprised.

Stella let out a dramatic gasp, Prompto actually crumpling to the floor and causing Diana to run towards him, laughing.

“Oh no! They’ve got me!” he yelled, prompting Dawn to run over to her sister, both of them jumping on top of him.

“You’re so silly, Uncle Prompto!” the older girl giggled. Stella laughed at the sight, turning her head to see Noctis and Luna walking toward them hand in hand.

“Noctis, you’re touching my sister again,” she scolded playfully. Noctis grinned sheepishly, letting go of Luna’s hand to wrap an arm around her waist.

“Can’t help it, we’re married, you know…unlike _someone_ ,” he replied with a pointed look at Prompto, who immediately flushed red down to his neck. Stella smacked his arm, pulling Luna away from him.

“Older siblings don’t have to get married first. Besides, if that’s going to be your argument, you should go take that up with Ravus instead,” she retorted. “The day Aranea actually decides to say yes to him is the day I’ll finally give you approval to make that jab at me.” Turning her attention to Luna, Stella winked conspiratorially.

“You mean the day that Ravus actually gets around to telling her how he feels?”

The teasing words were out of Luna’s mouth before she could think about it. A hot flash of _emotion_ hit her when she looked into Stella’s twinkling blue eyes; this was her sister, Luna’s mind told her, but something felt off. Guilt weighed heavy in her stomach for a moment, her heart aching because of the woman beside her, emotions she didn’t understand swirling through her core.

“Luna, are you okay?”

Her sister looked worriedly at her, telling her that she had spaced out more than she had meant to.

“Yes, I just didn’t sleep well last night,” Luna tried to reassure her. She wondered how long she would have to use that excuse.

Stella brought a hand up, mindlessly stroking her sister’s hair as she watched Prompto and the two girls in front of her, who were cheering loudly.

“Girls, you have to let Uncle Prompto up if he’s going to come with us,” Noctis said, and Dawn and Diana immediately ran back to their father. He held out a hand to help the blond off the floor, the latter grinning.

“All right! Ice cream and the park and some pictures, sounds like a good afternoon to me!” Prompto crowed. Stella left her sister’s side to straighten out the corner of his vest that had tucked in during the girls’ attack, chuckling.

“Have fun and don’t eat all the ice cream, okay?” she told him. “I’ve got an appointment with some of the newer members in the Crownsguard, Gladio tells me they need their a- butts,” she corrected herself hastily, glancing at the two girls. “Beat to the ground to start their training.”

Noctis laughed, drawing a smile from Luna. Her sister was more than capable of dealing with arrogant soldiers and putting them in their place, she knew.

 _How_ did she know this?

Prompto quickly kissed her forehead. “Go get ‘em, babe!” he cheered as she walked off with a wave behind her. Diana tugged at her father’s sleeve.

“Daddy, can we stop by to see Auntie Crowe before leaving?”

* * *

The Kingsglaive was in the middle of training in the outdoor courtyard provided especially for them when the five of them reached their destination. Dawn pursed her lips, her little eyebrows furrowing when she didn’t see the people she was trying to find, and grabbed her sister’s hand, both girls taking off down corridor that surrounded the courtyard.

“Whoa, where are you ladies going?” Pelna asked, smiling as he watched them run.

“Going to find Auntie Crowe, Uncle Pelna!” Diana yelled behind her. Tredd snickered next to him, shaking his head.

Their giggles and light footfalls caught Crowe’s attention where she leaned against the table during her break from training. She pointed to them, causing Nyx and Libertus to turn around. Grinning mischievously, Nyx hunched his shoulders and ran at them, making them shriek in laughter and run around him to get to Crowe, immediately hugging her legs. The sole female member of the Kingsglaive laughed, putting her arms protectively around them both.

“Uncle Nyx is coming to get you!” she whispered to them, who screamed in delight and huddled closer to her as Nyx wiggled his fingers. He pounced right at Dawn, tickling her sides.

“ _Uncle Nyx!_ ” the little girl screeched, trapped in between Nyx and Crowe’s arms.

“Did you get taller _again_ , Princess?!” Libertus asked with a grin. He put his hand on top of Diana’s head and then against his hip where the top of her head barely reached. She huffed and almost rolled her eyes in a fake, exasperated way only a six-year-old could pull off.

“You asked me the same question yesterday, Uncle Libertus!”

“Yeah, but it’s been a whole day since I’ve asked you!” the older man said, ruffling her hair affectionately. Crowe picked up the Princess right when Nyx scooped Dawn up into his arms, letting the little girl calm down from her tickling-induced giggles.

“Where are you headed to today, hmmm?” the mage asked, looking at Diana.

“Daddy said we could get ice cream from that place you and Uncle Nyx took us to last time, and then we’ll go to the park!” she replied, excited.

“Make sure you get the double chocolate for me, okay?” Nyx told the younger girl, giving her a hug. Crowe made a face.

“Please, everyone knows that peanut butter fudge is better.”

The expression that Nyx gave her was enough for Libertus to step in with a sigh, taking Diana from Crowe and putting her on one shoulder, Dawn from Nyx and putting her on his other shoulder. With his arms securely strapping the Princesses in, he took a few steps back to wait it out.

“Double chocolate trumps peanut butter fudge any day,” Nyx all but growled, his face suddenly inches from Crowe’s. She glared back at him.

“You wanna go, Ulric? I’ll _show_ you why peanut butter fudge is better than double chocolate.”

“Glaives!”

Titus Drautos called, making every Glaive in the courtyard, training or taking a break, snap to attention. “Assemble in the briefing room in fifteen minutes to go over the new training regimen.”

As soon as he finished the announcement, he looked over at the two girls Libertus was carrying, the slightest lift of the corner of his lips appearing, before he nodded at them and turned to Luche next to him, who grinned at them. It was no secret that the two Lucian princesses had nearly everyone in Lucis wrapped around their tiny fingers.

“I think it’s time you two went back to your parents,” Crowe said to Diana and Dawn, walking up to Libertus with Nyx. She waved at Noctis and Luna, who were waiting for their daughters at the end of the corridor. “Enjoy the yummy ice cream, okay? And don’t listen to Uncle Nyx’s nonsense about the chocolate.”

The girls giggled at the indignant look Nyx shot her, turning and running back to the three adults waiting for them.

“So,” Noctis asked them when they reached him, Luna, and Prompto. “Anymore surprise visits, or to the ice cream parlor?”

“ _Peanut butter fudge_!” Both the girls chorused loudly as an answer. Luna covered her smile with her right hand, looking at her daughters in amusement.

A loud, “ _HA_ , I TOLD YOU, ULRIC!” could be heard from down the hall. The Queen laughed then, and everything seemed right with the world until her eyes were drawn to the shadows in the corner of the courtyard, and found Noctis- not as he was now, standing next to her and talking animatedly to their daughters, but Noctis as he was at twenty years old, with his black hair gelled and wisps framing his face, clad in his traditional Lucian Prince’s fatigues- staring straight at her.


	17. In Veritate Libertas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was on her side, as if she was sleeping in a bed, suspended in the air and surrounded by a calming sea of black and blue with shimmering stars scattered in the darkness. The sea around her never stopped moving, the colors constantly in motion like a gentle tide.
> 
> The waters receded, and she slowly opened her eyes to Insomnia, laid out before her from the top of the Citadel. Noctis was nowhere in sight, but she was grateful he wasn’t- she didn’t want to see the devastated look on his face again, not when she had asked for answers and the truth she found was breaking her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, guys. I didn't mean to take so long with this chapter, but it turned out a little longer than I expected. Although...I think I made the right call in separating this one and the last chapter, it would have been about 12k in one go! SO. Here's the 8058 words I worked on the past three weeks, and I hope y'all enjoy! If anything is confusing in this chapter, it will probably make more sense in the next one :) thank you to everyone who has read, commented, left kudos, and just supported me with this fic. It's just so astounding to me, so thank you all so, so much.
> 
> A HUGE thank-you to LariaGwyn for putting up with me and beta-ing this chapter!! You're the best!<3
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

Luna didn’t notice how tightly she clenched Noctis’ hand until she heard a hiss from next to her. She tore her eyes away from the shadows to see her husband looking down at their intertwined hands and winced, loosening her grip.

“Ow. What gives, Luna?”

“Sorry!” she immediately apologized. “I just…I thought I saw…”

Noctis reached up to her forehead again with his other hand, feeling her temperature. “Are you sure you’re up for ice cream and stuff? Maybe you should rest, and Prompto and I can take the girls-“

Without even looking back into the dark corner of the courtyard, Luna instinctively knew that the figure would not be there anymore. There was something about it that yanked at her memory, something that was on the tip of her tongue that she couldn’t seem to get quite close enough to know. It was definitely Noctis, there was no doubt about it. She could remember perfectly the way he looked back then, twenty years old with his kingdom taken after King Regis…

There it was again, a half-forgotten memory that she couldn’t fully grasp. What happened to Lucis? How did its conflict with the Empire end?

_You’re running out of time._

Luna almost screamed when a voice she knew wasn’t hers sounded in her mind. That woman- she knew she heard it somewhere before. The warm tone, the accented lilt…

_Gentiana?_

There was no response. Luna wanted to kick herself; how was it possible that she forgot what Gentiana sounded like? Her faithful guardian, messenger of the gods, one of the incarnations of the Astral goddess Shiva. What happened?

“Luna?”

Noctis’ voice drew her from her thoughts, and the storm of questions swirling inside her quieted as she looked into his soft blue eyes. Luna gripped his hand tighter, a true smile unconsciously making its way onto her lips. Despite her confusion, her fear, her uncertainty, Noctis- he kept her anchored, grounded. The answering squeeze of his hand prompted her to answer him at last.

“I’m fine. Ice cream?”

Her two little girls cheered and Luna couldn’t imagine a more beautiful sound.

* * *

Insomnia’s bustling streets and modern technology were nothing like the quiet serenity of Tenebrae, something that managed to catch Luna off-guard time and time again. Instead of taking any form of transportation, the group simply walked out the Citadel gates with Dawn holding onto her father’s hand, Diana holding Luna’s, and Prompto fliting in front of the family to take pictures and crack jokes that had the girls giggling as they walked. Though there were many people on the streets, not many stopped to ogle and stare. Normal, Luna supposed, since they made casual public appearances like this all the time. Sure, there were paparazzi and occasional pictures, but they hadn’t had any trouble with crowd control, not when it was also common knowledge that the royals could more than handle themselves if things ever got ugly.

Come to think of it, when was the last time they had an outing like this? Luna’s eyebrows furrowed a little as she walked, trying to think. The lapses in her memory were still bothering her, the inconsistencies throughout the day blindsiding her with confusion. There were things she clearly knew- like Crowe and Nyx and sometimes Libertus and Pelna babysitting Dawn and Diana, like the fact that they always walked out of the Citadel like this- but when she really thought about them, all the details escaped her. It was like she was being given pieces of a puzzle that didn’t fit together, and the picture was right in front of her, but it was blurry and she couldn’t see clearly.

Diana suddenly pulled her hand from Luna’s and took Prompto’s as Dawn did the same, the trio running ahead to-

“Hammerhead?” Luna asked, confused. “I thought we were going to get ice cream.”

Noctis laughed, tugging her forward. “I could swear you’ve been here more times than I can count, and you’re still surprised every time we come,” he said, pointing to a small shop right next to the garage. A loud gasp broke through their conversation, the pair looking over to see Cindy talking animatedly to the girls.

“My, y’all grew another inch!” the mechanic exclaimed, measuring them both against her hip.  “You girls shootin’ up like trees!”

“Hi, Cindy,” Noctis greeted as he and Luna approached.

“Awww, the King and Luna here in Hammerhead,” Cindy replied with a wink, and gave Luna a quick hug. “Just stoppin’ by?”

“Yeah, just headed to Takka’s,” Prompto answered for his friends as he tuned back into the conversation. He nodded in the direction of the shop, and put his hands on the girls’ heads. “We were promised ice cream today, Noct is paying!”

“What?” Noctis half-whined, dragging out the ‘a.’ “I paid last time!”

Luna rolled her eyes, Cindy shooting her an amused look.

“Do y’all want to see Paw Paw? I can get him right quick, he’s just in the back working on an older model.”

“It’s fine,” Noctis quickly assured her. “We’re heading to the park after, but we’ll stop by on our way back to the Citadel.”

With a warm smile, Cindy waved them on their way. The smell of the ice cream parlor immediately purged any other thought out of Luna’s mind as soon as she stepped into the shop and took in the sweet scent, wondering how on Eos ice cream wasn’t her favorite dessert. All sorts of different flavors were on display in the coolers set into the circular counter, Prompto, Diana, and Dawn pressing their faces and hands against the glass, “oooh”-ing and “ahhh”-ing over the many options. The “Employees Only” door swung open, and a bald man with a cheery smile greeted them.

“How are y’all doin’ this fine day?”

“Mister Takka!” the two girls chorused excitedly.

He chuckled. “Well, if it ain’t my two favorite princesses and Mister Chocobo here.”

Dawn giggled. “Mister Chocobo? He’s Uncle Prompto!”

Takka winked at the other man before looking up to Noctis and Luna, who were just a few paces behind the trio. “The King and Queen too!”

“Every time, it’s like we haven’t been coming here for years,” Noctis quipped, playfully rolling his eyes. Takka waved him off when Dawn clamored for his attention.

“Mister Takka, can I get peanut butter fudge please?”

True to their word to Crowe, Dawn and Diana both got the Glaive’s favorite flavor. Prompto, not surprisingly, picked mint chocolate chip, and Luna settled for raspberry sherbet. Noctis’ ears turned about as pink as his strawberry ice cream when his wife and best friend teased him relentlessly about his (not-so-secret) favorite flavor, ending with a grumbled “shut up, Prompto” and a bop on the nose from the bottom of Luna’s spoon. Taking their treats and plenty of napkins, the group made their way down the street to the park nearby.

It had been the girls’ (and Luna’s) favorite spot since they were born. In the middle of the city, Helios Park was an enormous area of just grass, trees, small, man-made streams and rivers, bridges, birds, butterflies, and flowers one would not expect to see in the heart of Lucis. There was a small section that featured sylleblossoms imported straight from Tenebrae, as a tribute to Noctis and Luna’ marriage, with a rather large playground next to it. Not surprisingly, that was where the family found themselves every time they went to the park.

The lazy breeze gently ruffled Luna’s hair as she ate her sherbet, relishing in the sweet and tart flavor of the fresh raspberry she knew Takka used to make the treat. Noctis and Prompto all but inhaled their ice cream, racing against the other to see who could finish the fastest, resulting in hilarious expressions on both men’s faces as brain freeze hit them. Dawn and Diana messily ate their ice cream in front of the adults, with Dawn getting chocolate smudges all over her mouth, nose, and fingers, and even her forehead. Her sister fared a bit better, with smudges only on her cheeks and the ice cream on her hands. Luna laughed as she wet a napkin and wiped the sticky substance off her daughters, Prompto recovering from his brain freeze and taking pictures of them from multiple angles.

Dawn wrinkled her nose, both her and Diana receiving encouraging smiles and forehead kisses from their mother before they ran off to the slides where other children were playing. Prompto ran after them with his camera, throwing a wink behind to his friends. Noctis thoughtfully licked his spoon as he watched them, the gentleness and the love he had for his family evident in his eyes. It was this sight against the soft sunlight, the incredible weather, and the sound of her daughters’ giggles that filled Luna’s heart to the brim, that made her take Noctis’ hand and squeeze gently. He looked at her then, as if about to ask, but she only shook her head with a soft smile and kissed his cheek.

“Everything okay?” her husband asked her with a grin. Luna wanted to laugh, wanted some way to convey the emotions she was feeling that had gently washed over her. With her own answering grin, she only managed one sentence.

“I love you.”

Noctis’ smile grew wider, bumping his nose against hers and pulling back. “I love you too,” he told her, wrapping his free arm around her waist, and, well, if he had noticed her looking to see if he had strawberry ice cream on his hand, she only stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

It wasn’t ten minutes later that Luna finally caved in to the desire to see the sylleblossoms in bloom, and stood up with a kiss to Noctis’ cheek. He offered to go with her, but with the flowerbeds so close to the playground, she only rolled her eyes at him before walking over to them. The fresh scent of her favorite flowers immediately took her back home, to her hill of sylleblossoms in Tenebrae next to Fenestala Manor. She couldn’t wait to bring Diana and Dawn there, to let them run around the Manor as she did as a child, roam the hills of flowers and breathe in the fresh air of the woods and the streams and look up in awe and wonder at the ancient trees that grew far above their heads and the rushing waterfalls that turned into bubbling streams in the woods.

Luna reached down to touch the silky texture of the flower, admiring the blend of blue and white and purple when a familiar pair of tall black boots- the ones her sister always wore- appeared in her vision. She smiled, looking up and fully expecting to see Stella, fresh from training and kicking asses with that smirk on her face. “Finished with training already?” she teased, only to reel back in shock when the woman in front of her looked nothing like Stella.

Stella’s clothes were ripped and torn, and there was a large gash on the left side of her chest that was evident through the blood staining her white blouse. Her long blonde hair, tied in a half-ponytail, didn’t cover the black veins that were etched onto her chest right where her wound was, sending a tremor through Luna. She knew those black veins from somewhere, the dark magic she could feel from it making her physically recoil. Most horrifying though, was Stella’s face. Her cheeks were smudged with dirt and grime and sweat, and her eyes were vacant, broken, more lost than Luna had ever seen sister.

Her head started to ache as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Luna lifted one hand to the side of her head, as if trying to push away the pain to think clearly.

_What…what’s happening?_

This morning- when she had seen Noctis in the shadows, an image straight from her nightmares.

_“The new vessel took in the DNA, but its body was failing. It should have died.”_

_“It was called the Angelgard Project.”_

_“I will kill you, and when you die, Lunafreya, I’ll finally be able to say I had something to live for.”_

“Stella,” Luna whispered her name, clenching her hands into fists and digging her nails into her palms, trying to ground herself. “Stella…”

“Luna?”

Noctis’ voice broke through, and she looked up to see him hovering nervously over her. It wasn’t until a moment later that she registered his hands on her shoulders, with him crouching on the floor right in front of her and Stella nowhere to be found. Warily, she looked around, noting that Prompto was still watching the girls with a concerned expression, and that she had slumped against a tree next to a patch of sylleblossoms.

“I’m- I’m okay,” Luna murmured, shaking her head to clear her mind. A flicker of light caught her attention, drawing her eyes to the refraction of light off of Prompto’s camera lens and moved to the corner of the playground, as if guiding her to where she needed to look at, only to see another Prompto- looking younger and thinner, with a shallow gash on his forehead and a pained expression on his face. On his right wrist was a weird tattoo that almost looked like a barcode, dripping blood into a puddle by his feet. She idly wondered how no one was panicking at the sight before she came back to her senses, fighting the gasp that threatened to come up.

Luna bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, and made herself focus on the real Prompto, who was laughing and taking pictures of her adorable daughters while his doppelganger simply stood at the edge of the playground. She forced herself to see the life inside his eyes, in his expressions, so happy and carefree, unlike the ghost in front of her, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Instead, upon closer inspection, she realized that the apparition wasn’t looking at her at all. No, its gaze was fixed to the corner of the playground, and it took all of Luna’s self-control to slowly turn her head to see what it was seeing.

Gladio and Ignis, standing side-by-side just past the swings of the playground, were the ones who looked right at her. Both were covered in dirt and grime, the horizontal scar on Gladio’s forehead leaking blood down the side of his face while Ignis’ eyes were covered by dark shades, a large scar covering his left eye.

She suppressed the urge to scream, letting out a soft squeak instead, and held her breath. Noctis frowned, brushing her bangs back from her damp forehead.

“We should head back to the Citadel, you’re…well, paler than usual,” he said. “I’ll go-“

“No.” Luna’s hand shot up and gripped his arm tightly, exhaling sharply and then taking in a slow breath. “I just…it’s just that nightmare I had last night. Sorry. I feel fine, it’s just been…bothering me.”

He took his wife’s hand from his arm and held it, twining their fingers together as he sat down on the ground next to her. The breeze ruffled his hair a little; Luna focused on that one small thing to try to find some semblance of calm.

_Stay in the present. Stay in the present. Notice the little things._

“Do you want to talk about the nightmare?”

No. The thought was automatic, and she very nearly opened her mouth to form the word, but something yanked her back at the last moment. Instead, Luna took a deep breath through her nose and hesitantly nodded. Noctis squeezed her hand, shifting to look at her and give her his undivided attention. She breathed out.

Where to start?

“Well, I honestly don’t remember much of it. Just flashes here and there. But…things were different. We were still at war with the Empire. Nights were getting longer, and more daemons were appearing everywhere. Everyone, you, Prompto, Gladio, Ignis, Ravus, Stella, Iris, me…everyone was struggling. Everyone was in pain. And…everyone was so sad. There were these dark hallways, somewhere cold. Someone, someone had this big coat with a black wing on it. Their hair was sort of…purple and red. They had a hat. For some reason, I think- I think we were looking for them.” Luna’s brow furrowed as she slowly recounted her dream, trying to describe the brief images she saw, the things she felt. “And I think…I think Ravus…and you…I think you were…”

She couldn’t even say the words out loud, as if really acknowledging them would make them a reality. Noctis, however, understood perfectly what she was struggling to tell him. He blew out a quick breath, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles before he lifted their hands, kissing the back of hers.

“We’re okay,” he reassured her gently with a smile. “We’re here at the park, okay? This is real. It’s a beautiful day today, we just had the best ice cream ever, Prompto is busy taking pictures of our deceptively adorable girls, and we’re sitting next to sylleblossoms and having a nice conversation. It was just a nightmare, Luna,” he told her as he brought his hand up to her jaw, thumb brushing against her cheek. “Everything’s okay. You’re safe, Ravus is safe, I’m safe, we’re all here.”

Luna looked out toward the playground where Diana was giggling on a swing and Dawn was climbing onto the one next to her sister while Prompto lifted the struggling little girl. The warm afternoon sun seemed to grow warmer, kissing every inch of her skin that it touched, and she leaned back a little, facing the sky, and closed her eyes to take in a few calm breaths. She stilled her mind and listened to the sounds around her, to the faint _woosh_ of the breeze and the delighted shrieks of the children in the playground, of the laughs and the murmurs of people all around her, and then beyond that, the traffic and busy sounds of Insomnia.

She opened her eyes to her husband’s soft blue ones, waiting patiently for her, and she smiled, a true smile this time, closing her eyes and gently nudged her forehead against his shoulder. Dawn picked that moment to look over to her parents, yelling at the top of her little lungs, “DADDY, MAMA, LOOK AT ME!” as Prompto swung both her and Diana at the same time. Noctis stood up, gently pulling Luna up along with him. He gently kissed her forehead, giving her one more smile before he led them over to their family, and Luna almost, almost thought she could banish the nightmare from her thoughts until she caught a shape from the corner of her eyes-

Ravus, this time, but a grotesque version of him from her nightmare, with black tears running from his eyes and black veins coming from his forehead, spilling from his pale lips down to his chest where they sprawled on his mutilated chest. The right side of his body was covered in black armor, distorted and twisted in darkness, and a strange, pulsing beat coming from where his heart was supposed to be. His arm reached out toward her, and she fought to keep from reeling back in shock, to keep from bursting into sudden tears at the frightening, pitiful sight.

If Noctis noticed the sudden tightness Luna gripped his hand with, if he noticed the way her nails were digging into the back of his hand and the crescent dents they were making on his skin, he only drew her closer.

* * *

Dawn and Diana were whisked away by Nyx and Crowe, with Pelna trailing behind them today, upon their return to the Citadel for the princesses’ training. Though they were still young, it was agreed that they still needed to build a strong foundation for combat, and that began with limber exercises and light practice at an early age. The two Glaives were the ones originally tasked with the job, with one being a skilled and resourceful fighter and the other an immensely powerful mage, but there was almost always a third Glaive who tagged along to help and watch over the girls, hence how nearly half of the Kingsglaive were dubbed honorary uncles by them.

Noctis returned to his and Luna’s room to change and prepare for the council meeting Ignis was absolutely not letting him get away with that afternoon, leaving Luna to make her way back after walking with her daughters and the Glaives to training. The Queen walked through the Citadel in a daze, her hands absent-mindedly wringing together as her thoughts raced.

Talking about her nightmare with Noctis hadn’t helped like they both thought it would- if anything, it made her feel worse now that she was on her own and had time to think about it. She hated the broken, lost feeling that hit her in the gut every time she relived what she could remember of it, hated the feeling that she was alone, always lonely, when she saw the dark, twisting hallways or the bright stars above her and felt the cold wind raising goosebumps on her skin.

Luna shivered, rubbing her arms. Logically, she knew it was silly to be so hung up over a dream, but there was something about that nightmare she couldn’t let go of. Things weren’t adding up- the more she thought about it, the less she could remember- and that made her stomach coil in anxiety and anticipation, as if she was gearing up for a fight. In the few minutes she had to herself, she stopped trying to tell herself that everything was okay, not when her instincts told her otherwise, and if she had learned anything from Gladio, it was to always trust her instincts.

_“There are things that your body can pick up when you don’t have time to think about them. That’s what’s going to save you in a fight. You have to learn to listen to your body as much as you train to command it. Rely on your instincts and feel where the next attack is coming from.”_

There it was again. Luna stopped walking, her head starting to pound against her skull. She took a few shaky breaths, then made her way to the Crownsguard briefing room.

* * *

She had no idea what she was expecting, but Luna hadn’t anticipated Gladio bursting out in laughter when she walked in to ask him her questions.

“Gladio, have we- have I ever trained with you before? Have you ever run over any combat training with me before? I know, it sounds odd to ask, but I- I need to know.”

His amber eyes were twinkling in amusement, but there was only kindness when he gave her a response that made her stomach sink.

“Luna, trust me, if we trained together, I would remember. You would probably wipe the floor with me with your magic.”

* * *

She took her time walking back to her room, stopping in her tracks only when she was hit with the thought that she hadn’t asked Gladio how Iris did with training that afternoon. Luna sighed. Maybe she could ask her over dinner- once a week, all eleven of them would get together for a meal cooked mostly by Ignis (and sometimes with Iris or Luna or even Prompto pitching in to help) and giving the Citadel chef a night off. Ignis had planned one for tonight, and she mentally made a note to help him later on in the kitchens. Had he told her what he was planning to make? Had he let everyone know? Maybe she would need to tell Ravus and Aranea to remind them.

Iris walked into the hallway right in front of her then, a startled gasp escaping Luna as she reeled back, her hand on her chest.

“Iris! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Oh, but I was talking to Gladio earlier,” she said, recovering from her shock and walking up to the girl. “I meant to ask about your training. How did it go with Cor this morning? Your first day in the Crownsguard!”

It took her a moment to realize that with everything she was saying, the youngest Amicitia wasn’t looking her way. In fact, Iris gave no indication that she had heard her at all. Swallowing hard, Luna looked at her, really looked at her, and saw that her outfit looked worn, and covered in dust and dirt. There was a black smudge on her right cheekbone, her amber eyes, so like Gladio’s, were haunted, but fierce, ready to fight.

Luna didn’t even know she was walking backwards until she hit the wall, her nails scraping against the black paint. This Iris wasn’t real. This was another illusion, another figment of her nightmare seeping into reality, another ghost that didn’t belong.

“Why?” she breathed. “What’s happening?”

There it was again, the painful throbbing in her head. Her tongue felt dry, her legs shaking and knees about to give way.

“Luna?”

Every nerve in Luna’s body snapped to attention before instantly relaxing, and she very nearly collapsed, if she hadn’t managed to turn her body to catch herself against the wall in time. Arms were around her the next moment, and she breathed in a soothing scent of orchids, the result of him spending hours and hours outside with her and Dawn and Diana.

Noctis.

It took her a few moments to calm her breathing and pull herself together, to get over the embarrassment she felt at nearly losing it because she was so tired she was _seeing things_. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she slowly let it out, and decided resolutely she was not going to address what happened with him.

“Aren’t you going to a council meeting?” Luna asked quietly.

His voice was light when he answered her, but she didn’t need to look at his face to know that he was worried about her. She had the best husband; he knew her, he knew how proud she could be, and how, if she wasn’t going to talk about it, he knew that he only needed to remind her that she was loved while she worked things out herself.

“Yeah, I was on my way. Want to walk with me?”

Luna finally brought her eyes to look up at Noctis’, his blue eyes a shade darker than hers, and grasped his hand as he laced their fingers together.

* * *

As soon as she stepped into the throne room, she fought to keep from swaying, feeling light-headed as the bright sunlight streamed in from the enormous window on both sides of the room, casting a glow on the throne. It may have been a trick of the light- if Luna hadn’t spent the whole day seeing distorted, corrupt visions of her friends, her family, she would have believed it too. But she knew it wasn’t, she knew better, completely tuning out what Ignis was saying to Noctis as they walked up the center to the stairs to the large landing throne to focus on the transparent figure of King Regis standing next to the throne.

His face was so much older than she remembered, his stature smaller and more shrunken, though regal as ever. He held a cane in his left hand, and there was an elaborate brace on his right knee. The silver side crown he wore on the right side of his head seemed to shimmer slightly in the light, but it was the haunted look on his face that shattered her heart. Regis’ gaze pierced her, pleading with her when she felt the stabbing pain in her head once again.

_Remember._

_What happened with the Empire? How did it end? Where was Regis?_

_He’s dead._ She knew this. How did she know this?

_How did he die?_

So many questions came at Luna at once.

_“It has been a long time, Your Majesty.”_

_A smile. “Yes. Far too long.”_

That voice. That voice she heard wasn’t hers. It was Regis’, speaking to her with twelve years of pent-up guilt, written plainly in the way that his shoulders were tense, but the sad, relieved look in his green eyes, their color dulled by the sapping of his life force to maintain the New Wall, told her of his overwhelming joy in seeing her at last.

_“I had hoped to hold the wedding elsewhere, somewhere safe. I sent one of my Glaives to see you there, but-“_

_He stopped, and realization hit her as she numbly shook her head. The Glaive he mentioned had never made it to Tenebrae._

_“What of your destiny?”_

_“My duty is my destiny. I am prepared to accept whatever may come to pass.”_

No amount of preparation, nothing could have prepared her to accept that Noctis was the one who passed in her place.

And just like that, Luna’s resolve shattered, and she turned and ran.

* * *

One look at the troubled expression and the near-tears in her sister’s eyes, and Stella dragged Luna from the doorway of her room to one of the balconies on top of the Citadel, where she stopped and pulled her into a hug.

“Oh, Luna,” Stella breathed, pulling back and gently stroking her hair. “What’s wrong?”

She knew better than anyone how proud Luna was, how tears were always hidden from everyone else as best she could. But this? If Luna’s actions earlier were anything to go by, there was something seriously bothering her.

Her sister sighed heavily, dropping her forehead against her shoulder before looking back up. “I had a nightmare last night,” she mumbled. “It was…bad.”

She told Stella everything she had told Noctis, recalling the cold, terrifying, _lonely_ images that had been haunting her all day, leaving out only the figures that she kept seeing. “I seem to be forgetting all these things today…things I should know, and I don’t know what’s wrong. Everything today just _feels_ wrong. Like…things seem a little off. And it’s such a wonderful day, the weather is so beautiful and I spent time with Noctis and the girls, and yet, this nightmare just won’t leave me alone. I didn’t mean to ruin today by having Noctis concerned about me every minute, but I don’t…feel well,” Luna said, her words tumbling out like a waterfall. “It just hasn’t stopped bothering me.”

She chuckled a little, not even thinking about what she was saying- she could be excused for not having a filter for a few minutes. “It’s been a perfect day, and with these nightmares, it’s as if my life is too good to be true.”

A cold dread sank into her stomach when Luna realized what she had just said. Stella rubbed her back soothingly, watching her sister’s eyes widen with shock, but not knowing the full weight of the realization she had just come to.

“That’s really sad,” Stella murmured. “But it’s going to be okay, Luna. It’s just a nightmare. It will pass.” She carded her fingers through her shorter blonde hair, tied up in her usual ponytail with the braid arching over like a crown. “You deserve better than living in a nightmare.”

Movement from the side of the balcony- and there he was again, the nightmare-Noctis, with his wispy black hair moving gently in the wind, staring at Luna with the most heartbroken look on his face.

* * *

When Luna asked for a moment on her own, reassuring her sister she would see her at dinner, Stella only kissed her forehead and left the rooftop. She made sure she was alone before she stood up, locking eyes with Noctis, and slowly walked over, stopping about a foot away from him.

“Is this even real?” Luna asked, her voice gruff to her own ears. “Why do I keep seeing you? Why are all these things happening today?”

She reached up as if to touch his face, but then thought better of it and let her hand fall. What if she _could_ actually touch him? How much more real would that make him then?

“Noctis…why do you look so sad?” she whispered, almost begging for a reply. His dark blue eyes told her nothing, but Luna was determined, however broken, however confused she was, to get answers. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and reached out to where she thought his hand was, and held it there in thin air, barely letting out the sigh of relief that escaped her when she couldn’t feel anything. Her brows furrowed.

Luna listened to the sounds she could hear from the rooftop, listened to her own breathing and kept time with it before letting her mind dive into meditation. It felt familiar, calming, even, as she let herself fall, weightless, but then she hit something. A memory, of just earlier that day at the park watching her daughters play, of watching her husband as he laughed. Struggling, she pushed that memory aside to continue falling, only to see another one, this one from a little while ago.

It was one of her sitting in on one of Dawn and Diana’s lessons with Nyx and Crowe, the little girls following the mage’s stretches, this way and that. She had laughed when she saw Diana giggle and Dawn sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth in concentration, trying to get the angle just right, and resulted in Nyx going over to correct the girl’s somehow-twisted posture.

She shoved that aside, and continued, resigning herself to another memory in her way. Her and Ravus and Stella and their mother, Queen Sylva of Tenebrae, in her room in Fenestala Manor. The four of them were talking then, sharing a moment before she was to walk down the aisle.

There was a lump in her throat. The memories were harder to push away now, and Luna felt the sting of tears in the back of her eyes. She really missed her mother, she really missed her brother, and her heart broke for the woman who was not-her-sister, and this time, Luna didn’t even try to wonder why she missed them when logically, she knew her mother was still Queen, when her brother and her sister were both happy in Insomnia with their significant others. Exhaling sharply, she shoved the memory aside.

The day Diana was born, she was in her room, giving birth with the best care and attention that Lucis had to offer. It was a difficult birth, and she had refused to come out for the longest time. Luna pushed and pushed, screaming and yelling and effectively nearly breaking the bones in Noctis’ hand squeezing it so tight, but when it was over, it was the best feeling in the world. Exhausted as she was, she cradled her newborn daughter against her chest, taking in her mop of black hair, like her father’s, and almost cried when Noctis kissed the side of her sweaty forehead. She was their firstborn, and she was beautiful.

When Dawn was born, Diana had climbed up onto the bed with her father’s help, and looked at the little bundle of blonde in her mother’s arms.

“Hi, Dawnie,” she chirped, putting her small, pudgy hand on her new sister. Noctis gathered all three women up in his arms, holding his family, and Luna was _home_ , and then she _wasn’t_ , ripped away from them when she fell right through the memory and hit the hypothetical ground and saw _herself_.

She was on her side, as if she was sleeping in a bed, suspended in the air and surrounded by a calming sea of black and blue with shimmering stars scattered in the darkness. The sea around her never stopped moving, the colors constantly in motion like a gentle tide.

The waters receded, and she slowly opened her eyes to Insomnia, laid out before her from the top of the Citadel. Noctis was nowhere in sight, but she was grateful he wasn’t- she didn’t want to see the devastated look on his face again, not when she had asked for answers and the truth she found was breaking her heart.

* * *

“Lunafreya?” Ravus’ voice startled Luna as she walked down the long corridors of the Citadel, a chill setting into the place she called home. She whipped her head up in surprise; her brother was approaching her from the other end of the hallway, and the two siblings met in the middle. Luna quickly shoved what she hoped was passable as a real smile onto her face.

“Ravus,” she said, acknowledging her brother. “Where’s Aranea?”

_Not real. Not real._

“She said she wanted to take a shower before dinner. Cor asked us to do some groundwork with the new recruits, so it turned out to be a busy day.”

Luna watched him talk, noticing all the little nuances in his expressions, the ones she had missed seeing for twelve years. She saw the blue of his eyes, the platinum of his light blond hair, the gentleness he addressed her with, and then her throat clamped up and she launched herself at him. Ravus, surprised, didn’t react for a moment until his arms hesitantly wove around her, gingerly patting her back.

“Luna? Is something the matter?”

She breathed in deeply, trying to imprint the way her brother smelled into her memory, trying to remember the way his arms would go around her as a child, every time she needed it, the way he would put his hand on her shoulder in a silent show of support. Luna took a few moments, not caring who was walking by in the hallways, to make this one selfish minute last just a little bit longer before she forced herself to pull away.

“No,” she told him, shaking her head. “I just…am happy to see you.”

Ravus chuckled softly then, and kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Luna watched him walk down the hallway, clenching her fists as she looked at his back, memorizing the way he moved, the broad set of his shoulders that she had believed, at one point, could hold the weight of anything, even the world. Ravus had once been her role model, her support, her strength _(and Stella’s too; she remembered the way he would listen to the two of them ramble on about their imaginary adventures in her sylleblossom field in Tenebrae, the way he would put his hands on their heads and ruffle their hair affectionately)_ , the reason she stayed behind when Tenebrae burned.

“I’ll see you at dinner,” she whispered long after he was gone.

* * *

She found Ignis in the kitchens a while later, preparing for the family dinner that night. Watching Ignis work was mesmerizing; it was as captivating as watching Gladio wield his sword, or Aranea with her lance, or Ravus or Stella with their rapiers, or Prompto with his gun. The way the brunet weaved around the space and cooked was a science in itself, and Luna never passed up a chance to observe him whenever she had time.

“Ignis? Do you need any help?” she asked, sticking her head through the door. He smiled.

“Certainly. If you could start by chopping those vegetables over there- you know how Noct is, you have to hide the veggies- that would be wonderful.”

The pair worked around each other after that, sharing quips, stories, and intellectual banter over the next hour and a half. It was surprisingly easy to cook with Ignis, and it was equally as easy to talk to him about virtually any topic imaginable, something Luna never tired of. When the food was ready, she went out to the dining room and rounded up their family members to help in carrying things out and laying out the places- what with Noctis, Gladio, Ravus, Aranea, Prompto, Stella, Dawn, and Diana helping, preparations only took a few minutes.

Everything was perfect; the food was fantastic, and there were smiles on everyone’s faces. Gladio recounted the new recruits’ training that day with Iris chipping in every other sentence, and Prompto showed everyone the pictures he had taken at the park. Luna shoved aside the niggling in the back of her mind and focused on the _now_ , trying her best not to think about how none of it was _real_.

It was hard to believe, but after the events on the rooftop that afternoon, she found that the more she thought about it, the less her life made sense. The gaps in her memory taunted her mercilessly now that she knew the truth, unraveling slowly as she did her best to ignore it.

_Give me this. Give me tonight. Just a few more hours._

She watched her husband nitpick his food, putting every single piece of vegetable he could find onto the side of her plate when he thought she wasn’t looking, and Dawn doing the same to Diana in a much clumsier fashion. She watched Ignis give her a look after seeing the pile on Diana’s plate, but the other adults all doted on her two daughters like no tomorrow.

 _No tomorrow._ She almost snorted at the irony.

The look on Ravus’ face was priceless, an expression she hadn’t seen since what she knew to be her childhood- disregarding what she now knew were her false memories. It was the look he had on when he was most relaxed, on those nights where he and Luna and Stella and their mother would curl up on sofas in front of the enormous fireplace in Fenestala Manor next to Umbra and Pryna and play games or share a good book or just talk about their day. His eyes took in his family, ever watchful, and the woman next to him whom he was still vehemently denying his feelings for. Seeing Luna stare at him, he shot her a grin, making her stifle a giggle.

Next to her, Stella took her hand, and Luna squeezed it in return. She tried to push aside the absolute heartbreak she felt as she looked into her sister’s eyes, but eventually had to tear her gaze away, feeling the tell-tale prick in the back of her eyes.

Dessert was a rich chocolate mousse, Iris’ favorite, since Ignis had asked her for a suggestion. Dawn ended up with a smudge on her forehead, which Aranea laughed about before wiping it away. Diana, surprisingly, was the one who yawned first, prompting Noctis to bop her on the nose and kiss her cheek.

“Time for bed,” he quipped, lifting her out of her chair and down to the ground. “Want me to tuck you in?”

Luna, already holding Dawn, put a hand on her husband’s arm. “I can take them.”

Noctis pulled a face. “Best hurry back, or the rest of your mousse is going to be gone,” he teased, looking at the half-eaten dessert lying temptingly on her plate. His wife wrinkled her nose at him playfully.

Diana gave her dad a brief hug, and Dawn leaned over to kiss Noctis’ cheek. “Good night, daddy,” the girls chorused, walking out of the room with the older one holding her mother’s hand and the younger in her arms. The trio walked down the hallway, chatting away and giggling tiredly over the stories the two girls wanted to tell Luna, whether it was about training that day or the pretty butterfly (that one was Diana) she had seen when she ran out to the garden after practice.

It was too soon when they arrived at the Princess’ shared room, just down the hall from hers and Noctis’ bedroom. Luna swallowed the lump in her throat, opening the door.

After Dawn was born, they had added a second twin bed next to Diana’s, separated by a nightstand with a lamp on top. Luna put the wiggling blonde down, letting the two girls get ready for bed themselves, laughing when Dawn struggled to pull her nightgown over her head. Diana slipped into her own bed, ready for her mom to walk over and kiss her goodnight.

Luna tucked her older daughter in, dropping a kiss onto her forehead, and the girl snuggled into the bed. She moved on to Dawn’s bed, when the little girl spoke up just as she finished pulling the comforter over her shoulders.

“Mama?”

She smiled, kneeling down so she was eye level with her youngest daughter. “Yes, darling?”

“Tomorrow, can I cook breakfast with you? Diana told me about cooking last time with you and Uncle Ignis, and it’s my turn.”

There was a shattering feeling inside of her chest, and Luna felt the stab of guilt when she tried to give Dawn her best reassuring look. “Of course,” she lied, brushing her daughter’s blonde hair out of the way. She kissed her forehead, and then went back to Diana’s bed to do the same.

“See you tomorrow, Mama,” Diana murmured, turning onto her side. Luna couldn’t find the will to respond as she closed their door.

* * *

The roof of the Citadel, the one with the balcony she was at with Stella earlier that day, seemed to be the most logical place to go. Luna counted her breaths as she walked, trying to calm her frantically-beating heartbeat, and letting out a small sigh when the door behind her closed and she found Noctis waiting there, looking exactly as he did this afternoon.

She tried to keep walking, but something stopped her. Luna knew, without a doubt, that if she were to continue, there would be no way for her to get all of this back. Her perfect life, her perfect husband, perfect daughters, perfect family, this time of peace- all of it would be gone. She didn’t even fully know where she was going to end up, but if her nightmares were any indication, she would be afraid, and she would be alone.

There was another way- she could stay here. She had that breakfast date with Dawn, she had Diana to watch grow up. She had Noctis and that half-eaten mousse waiting for her, along with her brother’s smile and her sister’s hugs. She had the friends she considered family, all just waiting for her to go back down the hall and into the dining room.

But knowing this wasn’t real, that for inexplicable reasons, everything hinged on her finding the truth, was enough to make her lurch her feet forward, one step at a time, toward Noctis standing by the edge of the banister.

Luna hesitantly approached him, looking out at the incredible view. In the daytime, Insomnia was a sight to behold, but night just accented its beauty. Twinkling lights stretched as far as she could see, with traffic and people far below her milling about. It was just another night, just another evening waiting for the dawn to come. She exhaled sharply, gathering her courage to turn toward Noctis, who looked at her with the same forlorn expression. There was no hesitation this time as she lifted her hand to where his cheek was, only to meet air. It had to be now, or she would never find the strength again.

“Noctis,” she whispered his name, pausing momentarily. “How do I get back?”

Back to darkness. Back to that nightmare with twisting hallways and shadows on the walls.

For the first time, it was as if he heard her- he looked toward the balcony, and Luna let out a half-laugh, half-sob as she let her hand fall back to her side. She shook her head, walking back there again and over the railing. There was no guarantee she would wake up, no guarantee that there was _anything_ to wake up to. She could always turn back to what she knew, to the dining room filled with her family, to the bed she and Noctis shared, to her daughters sleeping soundly.

Luna knew there really wasn’t a choice, not this time. She looked up at the stars, at the large full moon that waited for her to make a decision. Closing her eyes, Luna _willed_ the hardest she could, and then let herself fall over the edge of the Citadel.

The last thing she could remember was the feeling of a sword hilt appearing in her hand.


	18. Crystal Stasis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The King has passed on his power to me,” she declared, adjusting her body language so that confidence and determination poured out from her. She shifted her foot slightly forward, a subtle show of aggression, just as Gladio had taught her. “The Chosen King has deemed me worthy to take his place and restore justice to Eos, to the line of Lucis, and to the line of Fleuret.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! 4579 words. That's about half the length of the last chapter. I recently started a new job, so I've been working on this story during my down times...which...is actually quite often. It's nice to be able to do some writing while getting paid :) Thank you guys for your patience the past 19 days while waiting for a new update! Thank you guys for your kudos, comments, and all your support; y'all are literally the best.
> 
> We're quickly approaching the end of this story! I would estimate another 4-5 chapters to go. Definitely proud of how this turned out, but I think it's a little soon to be saying goodbye :(  
> Also, I've had a lot of feedback about Dawn and Diana. I really, really love those girls, and feel terrible about the context I put them in in this story, so I've decided that after I finish with this main story, I'm going to start a side series or story just centered around them and the Caelum-Fleuret family (along with everyone else, of course)! Be on the lookout for that, as well as a new oneshot I'm working on featuring the chocobros and a specific dare that Noctis couldn't back down from :)
> 
> Shout out to Jen!! Thank you so much for beta-ing for me so @LariaGwyn doesn't have to deal with me on her own ;) love you!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

Cold. Why was it always cold? Her eyelids felt heavy, and it wasn’t until seconds? minutes? hours? days? had passed that she became conscious of the rest of her body, weighing her down like lead. Her limbs paid her no mind as she struggled to move, trying her best to open her eyes. It felt like she had been sleeping for a long, long time. Had she been napping? Afternoon naps sometimes did that to her, where they made her more tired than she originally was. Maybe she had been so tired that she had just fallen asleep for a long time. It didn’t feel like she had moved any in her sleep; that meant that either she was just _that_ exhausted, or Dawn and Diana hadn’t come into the room in the middle of the night or that morning to snuggle with her. What time was it anyway?

Dawn. Diana.

Something about them ignited a fire inside of her chest, and Luna threw all of her concentration and effort into opening her eyes.

She was definitely not where she was supposed to be. Instead of the black-and-white of Noctis’ and her room, with the sprawling city of Insomnia outside of their rather big windows, she was surrounded by an ocean of dark galaxy blue, shifting back and forth like waves with stars shimmering in its midst. Her limbs were stiff from both the cold and inactivity, adding on to the confusion.

It took her another moment before a cracked, broken sob and a soft, hoarse “oh” came out of her dry throat, the gravity of realization crashing down on her all at once from the top of the Citadel in Insomnia, both figuratively and literally. Luna had no way of telling how long she lay there, silent tears streaming from her eyes as her throat clamped up and refused to let out a single sound after that first sob. Finally, she summoned the impossible strength to stand, her arms shaking as they lifted her body off…whatever it was she was lying on. The supposed floor was transparent, as if she was simply lying on air.

Luna slowly wiped her tears away, looking in every direction. There was _nothing_ around her except the swirling galaxy, no way to tell where she was. Not left with many options, she lurched forward, starting to walk.

She didn’t know where she was going or how long it had been. Time and space seemed non-existent as she put one foot in front of the other, robotically making her way toward…somewhere. She knew now, this was no dream. This was reality, the reality where she was alone, but _where the hell was this place_? Luna suddenly stopped, lifting her head up and glaring at the endless blue expanse above her. She clenched her fists, nails digging into the palm of her hands as she felt the rage boil over, finding the strength somewhere deep inside to speak out loud for the first time.

“I left my family for this,” she croaked hoarsely, in the angriest voice she could muster with her rusty vocal chords. “I threw myself off a damn tower and picked a nightmare over a perfect life, so the least you can bloody do is tell me _what the hell is going on_!”

The colors around her shifted, the dark blues and blacks and purples and stars swirling to make room for a lighter blue. Unearthly bright green lights appeared, flickering and dancing in a line. A huge shadow emerged before her, coming closer and closer; it was her anger that rooted her in place and kept her knees locked, kept her from falling or recoiling. When the figure finally fully appeared in front of her, she couldn’t keep from narrowing her eyes.

“ _You_ ,” Luna hissed, her rage barely kept in check.

The Astral Bahamut stood in front of her, the King of Dragons and the leader of the Six Astral gods. His enormous arms were crossed, and a huge sword inlaid with gold nestled in his hands. The helmet on his head resembled a dragon’s head, designed in true dragoon style. His wings, made entirely of swords, spread from his back, making him look bigger. As he lifted his steely gray gaze to her blue eyes, Luna found herself not in awe, not entranced, not reverent, but _furious_.

“ _What the hell is happening_?”

“Lunafreya Nox Caelum,” he addressed her calmly in his booming voice. “The Oracle Queen. You have passed the test.”

It was only momentary confusion that made Luna drop her guard, allowing Bahamut to summon a small ball of floating light that drifted towards her. When it touched her, it engulfed her in a warm glow…until memories smashed into her one by one, of her last moments in the Zegnautus Base, leaving her clutching her stomach and gasping for breath. She looked up and around then, after the light faded, trying her best to stay calm and take deep breaths.

“I’m…this is…”

“You are inside the Crystal of Lucis. It is time that we met.”

Luna couldn’t help it. She started laughing hysterically, doubling over and heaving, trying to get enough oxygen in her lungs. She laughed and laughed and laughed, the hilarity and ridiculousness of her situation hitting her all at once. And she knew, she _knew_ , that if she didn’t laugh, she would be yelling or crying. Possibly both. Luna kicked that thought to the back of her mind.

“I’m in…I’m in the Crystal…and…” _Laughter_. “And you’re…you’re telling me it’s time we met…” _More laughter_. “And I’ve been, what,” _Gasp._ “Dreaming all of this time?” _Deep breath_. “All this time after everything that’s happened,” _More breaths_. “You finally decide that ‘it’s time we met’?”

Bahamut looked down at her, his face completely emotionless. “That was no ordinary dream.”

That was what finally got her to stop, her smile completely sliding off her face.

“That was another form of reality,” the Astral continued. “A whole other half-dimension, which had the potential to become a true reality- if you so chose.”

Luna looked at him incredulously, not daring to _breathe_ in case she said something she might regret- but now, not even an _Astral_ could avoid bearing the brunt of her fury. Unfortunately, tact and human social cues were not something the gods were versed in, not enough to care, anyway, outside the one exception of Gentiana-Shiva, and if Bahamut had cared enough to really look at the distraught human in front of him, he would have seen the effect of his words on her.

“It would have become reality for you, and this world would have plunged into darkness, for The Abomination to do as he saw fit.”

“So,” Luna said carefully. “I would have been in a different…what, dimension? Dream? With my family…who weren’t real…while Ardyn Izunia essentially destroys this world?”

Bahamut didn’t even answer her question. “You have passed the Trial of Bahamut. You have chosen all else above yourself. Oracle Queen, you are worthy of my Mark.”

She stood there, gob smacked as she stared at him, a look of crazed disbelief in her eyes. “You mean with you sending in hallucinations _after wiping my memory_ to make me think I’m insane and seeing things?!” She demanded through gritted teeth.

“The illusions that you saw did not come from me. Those were your ghosts.”

“… _What_?!”

“Whatever you were fighting for, Oracle, broke through the Trials. You have strong convictions in this war against the darkness. Those were your subconscious memories personified- that they appeared meant you have an unwavering sense of duty, even in the face of the things you wanted the most.”

Noctis. Prompto. Gladio. Ignis. Ravus. Stella. Iris. King Regis. Gentiana. She had seen all of them in her dream, heard them, the running list of people she drew strength from.

“But,” Bahamut continued. “Even with the choice you made, many have given all for you, Oracle Queen, and so you must give yourself for all.”

Luna glowered at him instead of lashing out like she thought she would. Everything he had just told her made her head spin as she tried to process all the information, one word at a time. She mentally congratulated herself for not a) falling over in shock and being overwhelmed, and- _and_ , not _or_ , which was a more impressive feat- b) throwing punches, because she was angry and frustrated and upset and heartbroken enough to resort using her fists, which happened once in a blue moon.

Blue _everything_ was around her. She had just lost her family, she had jumped off a building, and she had woken up _inside the Crystal of Lucis,_ and then told, however indirectly, that she was going to die. Showing an impossible amount of self-restraint, she only tightened her balled fists, feeling her nails marking crescent moons into her skin.

“I know,” she managed to grit out. “I’ve always known.”

Here it was, the truth that she had to voice after all these years. Ever since she had been a child, trained as an Oracle, she had known how everything was to end. She knew that one day, she would have to call on the gods and exchange her life for their communion and covenants. She knew that the little boy who became her closest friend, the man she had fallen in love with in the years that came and went, would not survive to see the dawn that would come at the end of the night. Still, that didn’t stop her from hoping, from doing everything she could to change it.

What happened instead? He took her place and died in Altissia instead, passing on his calling to her, the other bloodline blessed by the Astrals. He died anyway, despite everything she had done to try to prevent it from happening. What were they going to get at the end of it all, sacrificing everything to bring a new day to Eos?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing aside from _both_ their bloodlines dying out. And with everything she had already lost- her mother, her brother, Tenebrae, Regis, Noctis, Umbra, Dawn, Diana- _not real not real not real_ \- what was her life compared to that? She looked back up at Bahamut with an almost-smirk on her lips. If she and Noctis were to be tools of the gods to banish the darkness, then she would do it; not because she was okay with being a pawn, but for all the others who were looking to them for hope. She would do it for the people.

“I am prepared to accept whatever may come to pass,” Luna said, echoing her own words to Regis from so long ago- really, it was only a few months, at this point. “I can…” she hesitated, looking down at her hands, palms up, before turning them to settle her gaze on the Ring of the Lucii that was glowing on her finger. “I can feel the Power of Kings draining me. Like when I communed with the gods.”

She let out a dry chuckle. “I didn’t notice it until I put the Ring on, but from then on, it was…very evident. Power that doesn’t belong to me, not really- it was easy to tell.”

A new voice broke through the conversation. “I’m so sorry, Luna.”

Luna’s blood froze, and she had to steel herself to turn, slowly, at the voice that came from behind her. In front of her, Bahamut only nodded, and faded back to the blue. Her pulse thrummed, her heartbeat hammering inside her chest as her eyes met blue ones just a touch darker than her own. Her throat was suddenly dry.

“Noctis?” she forced out in a broken whisper.

_Oh gods. How much of that did he hear?_

To her surprise, he only gave her a sad smile. “Enough,” Noctis said, rubbing the back of his head. “I…well, the gods told me that there were a couple of things I could do to help, and, uh...I’m sorry I overhead some of it.”

_Oh. I actually said that out loud._

Luna closed her eyes, mentally bracing herself and swallowing before opening them again. “Noctis, I’m so sorry.”

There was nothing she could say to remedy the situation. Here, she had basically just told him she had known he was going to die, that his father and everyone else around him weren’t raising him to take the throne, but leading him like a lamb to slaughter. She had known, from the very beginning, and she had said nothing. He went into this not knowing _anything_ , including the price fate had demanded for him to pay at the end. It wasn’t even fair. It wasn’t even close to fair.

“I knew,” she murmured. “I’ve always known. I’m so sorry.”

Noctis slowly crossed the distance between them, careful not to startle her. “This might sound kinda weird, but…I’m not really all that upset,” he admitted, shaking his head. Luna wanted to laugh. Of course he wasn’t. The gods chose him for a reason. The Lucii knew he was chosen for a reason. It was the pure heart that he had, even through his anger and through losing both his father and his country. Noctis’ heart broke, it raged, but it never wavered.

“What I mean is, I’m not upset with you,” he amended quickly. “If I were you, I don’t think I would have said anything either.”

Luna looked away, almost suddenly shy. He was right, it wasn’t as if she could actually tell him that. How would she even start that conversation? _‘Hey Noctis, I’m the Oracle and you’re the Chosen King, and I know I’m probably going to die along the way trying to help you, but I know you’re going to die for sure, oh, but no worries, I’ll do what I can for you before I bite the dust.’_

Oh yeah. That would have gone over well.

“I’m just sorry that I put you up to this.”

Her blue eyes flew up to his. “Are you really apologizing for saving my life right now?” Luna asked, halfway to laughing in disbelief.

Noctis groaned. “You know that’s not what I meant.” He shook his head again. “There’s someone you should meet,” he said, changing the subject. He sidestepped, letting her see another shadow, this time much smaller, making its way toward the two of them.

It was like seeing Bahamut all over again- as soon as the figure got close enough for Luna to see who it was, she didn’t even hesitate this time. All of her pent-up aggression and frustration and anger and the combat training she received from both Cor and Gladio lit a fire inside of her chest, and her patience and self-control snapped. Before she could register what she was doing, Luna practically _flew_ forward, and her fist connected with Ardyn Izunia’s nose.

“ _What the hell are you doing here_?!” she screeched, watching the tall figure crumple to the ground.

“Luna!” Noctis’ shocked tone caused her to immediately turn her attention to him, every nerve in her body poised and ready to fight. Seeing her fierce expression, he quickly raised his hands in surrender. “Luna, I swear, that’s not who you think it is. Although…” a proud grin appeared on his lips. “I almost reacted the same way as you,” he said with a hint of amused awe and affection in his tone.

Letting the anger slowly seep out of her, Luna lowered her raised right fist and glared at the figure on the ground. Ardyn took longer than she thought he would in standing up again, but when he straightened, she could see something was off. His frame seemed to be smaller than she remembered, his shoulders and back hunched over when she looked closer. The brim of his fedora hid his face from her, but when he slowly raised his gaze to meet hers, she nearly stumbled back in surprise.

Ardyn Izunia was _old_. His skin was loose and wrinkled, his amber eyes dulled and with less spark than she had seen them. In fact, the only part of him that really looked like the Ardyn Luna knew was in the dramatic color and flair of his hair. One of his bony hands reached up to his nose, where Luna could see an enormous bruise and blood slowly making its way down to his lips, and he winced and flinched upon the contact. She didn’t need a mirror to know that her mouth was hanging wide open in surprise, blue eyes huge in shock. “I’m…sorry…” she managed to stammer, still reeling from what she was seeing in front of her.

He waved a hand in her direction. “Not to worry, dear,” he said in a tone that didn’t resemble the Ardyn she knew _at all_. “I would have done the same if I were you.” Shifting his gaze, he settled on Noctis instead. “She has a better arm than you, Princey.”

Noctis’ jaw dropped. “But I didn’t even hit you!”

Ardyn winked at him.

“I’m sorry, but…who are you?” Luna asked, beyond confused at this point.

The King looked sheepishly at her, one hand rubbing the back of his head. “Luna, this is Ardyn Izunia- the human side of him, at least.”

No wonder he looked ancient. Ardyn Izunia would be about two thousand years old at this point. The man sighed, looking down at his obviously-broken nose. “That one’s going to sting, it will.”

“I’m…so sorry,” Luna almost squeaked, her hands covering her mouth. “Um…”

“Queen Lunafreya,” Ardyn said in a suddenly serious tone that made her immediately snap to attention. “As Oracle, you already know how the Starscourge came to be, and what happened after. The Scourge- it forced its way into me when I opened my body to absorb it, to save Eos, and it wasn’t until too late that I realized a daemon had been growing inside of me until it took over and cast part of me here, into the Astral realm. I am not wholly here, you see. I am still trapped in my body, the one the daemon now fully controls. I still retain my humanity…though…not much is left. I am sorry,” he sighed, “that I was not able to stop it from hurting Stella.”

From the corner of her eye, Luna noted the reappearance of Bahamut, silently approaching the three humans as Ardyn told his story.

“I am immortal,” Ardyn continued. “And have had long years upon long years to ponder what happened so long ago. The anger, the rage at Lucis, it was what fed the daemon and it festered until it was out of my control. It is what drives the daemon now to see to the end the revenge it sought two millennia ago, even if I have grown tired. The daemon, it seeks to destroy the world as penance for the hurt that was inflicted upon us so long ago, and now, after two thousand years, I have learned that humans…our lives are short, and to have a long life such as mine, well…” he gestured to himself. “There is more than enough time to be bitter, to forgive, to forget, to start over, and too much time to think about the mistakes I have made along the way. I have spent too long trapped in my own mind as this daemon wreaks havoc.”

He shuffled forward until he was standing right in front of Luna, reaching out with his old, wrinkled hands to grasp hers in a feeble grip. “As Queen of Lucis and Oracle of Tenebrae, you know what you must do. Lunafreya Nox Caelum,” Ardyn smiled kindly, a little sadly. “Put an end to us. The daemon wants revenge. I only want peace in death.”

Luna didn’t realize she was crying until her tears fell and she felt the coldness against her cheeks. He released her hands then, taking a step back. Bahamut’s deep rumble sounded then, addressing her once more.

“The power you will need to destroy the Abomination comes from the Kings of the Lucii, through the bonding of souls. You, Oracle Queen, not being of the line of Lucis, must prove your worth.”

As he spoke, Noctis and Ardyn began walking toward the Astral, leaving her standing in the middle of the expanse.

“Are you ready to face them?”

She opened her mouth to ask who ‘they’ were, but a bright light distracted her from her question. The Ring of the Lucii was glowing, brighter and brighter, making her shield her eyes with her hands until there was one final flash. Hesitantly, Luna opened her eyes again, and then slowly dropped her arms in awe at the sight in front of her.

Fourteen ghostly figures the size of Bahamut were staring down at her, all clad in armor. Their faces were covered by intricate helmets, and the outline of their figures rippled upwards like white-hot flame.

The Kings of Lucis.

“This is the one entrusted to bring us justice?” a voice to the right hissed.

“For one so small, much has entrusted,” another voice said.

“I have seen her will. Her determination is not a power to be trifled with.”

Luna almost gave herself a whiplash turning her head to find the source of the voice. It was King Regis, no doubt about it, with the familiar, warm tone even as he addressed the other spirits so formally. Tears stung the back of her eyes, and she blinked furiously to keep them from building. The spirits shifted places then, as if taking their turns to judge her.

“There is no one more worthy of the Power of Kings.”

Noctis. Luna swiveled to where she last saw him and Ardyn and Bahamut only to find him gone, his armored spirit joining the kings that came before him. She tightened her jaw, threw her shoulders back, and lifted her chin in confidence and poise, just like her mother had taught her so long ago. If she had to prove herself, like Bahamut said, then these kings had better be ready. After everything she had been through, the physical training, the emotional whirlwind, and in the name of those she had lost, in the name of those she still needed to save, and those who had been beside her through all of it, she was _not_ going to hold back.

“Kings of Lucis,” she addressed all of them. “Surely you have seen the oncoming darkness. You have seen what the daemon inside of Ardyn Izunia has become.”

“We have died for what it has done,” one of the spirits boomed, almost enraged. “We waited for the King of Light to bring justice to our deaths and the new dawn.”

Luna tried not to flinch at the mention of her ( _fakefakefake_ ) daughter’s name.

“The King has passed on his power to _me_ ,” she declared, adjusting her body language so that confidence and determination poured out from her. She shifted her foot slightly forward, a subtle show of aggression, just as Gladio had taught her. “The Chosen King has deemed _me_ worthy to take his place and restore justice to Eos, to the line of Lucis, and to the line of Fleuret.”

The kings were silent for a short moment until one spoke up. “Very well, young king,” it said, clearly not talking to her. Were they talking to Regis? Or Noctis? “We will weigh your warrior’s worth.”

A light engulfed Luna, tearing through her like a hurricane. She was knocked hard onto her knees, barley managing to support herself up with her arms, and bit back the scream that threatened to erupt at the sudden intrusive pain in her mind and body, the spirits’ power clawing their way through each thought, each memory. It felt like her body was being torn into shreds as they delved into her, judging her every desire, every decision, trying to find a way to judge her heart and soul. Gritting her teeth, Luna let the pain consume her, her vision spotting, before she took in a sharp breath, pulling the pain in a little at a time, until she was in full control of it, and slowly stood up.

“Kings of Lucis, you will listen to me!” She forced out, each word taking effort to form. “I am Lunafreya Nox Caelum of House Fleuret, the Oracle chosen by the Six, and the Queen of Lucis chosen by Noctis Lucis Caelum, the last King of Lucis. I have been crowned by the goddess Shiva herself, and I _will_ restore the dawn!”

And then the pain was gone.

Each king watched as she straightened, pulling her shoulders back as if she hadn’t just had the wind knocked out of her. They watched as she lifted her bright blue eyes up to them, her will as strong as steel.

“Very well, young Queen,” one said. It lifted its right hand, sheathed in an ornate gauntlet, and a small stream of light flowed into the Ring. “Bring the dawn.”

Luna could feel the brand new power that seeped into her, heard the whispers that told her exactly what she was now capable of doing, what the price of it would be. She took it all, no pause, no hesitation. There was another bright flash of light, and then all of the spirits were gone, leaving only Noctis standing in front of her.

“Er…hi,” he greeted her sheepishly. In her peripheral vision, Luna noticed that both Bahamut and Ardyn were gone, leaving the two of them alone. A weight settled on her chest, the quiet realization that _this was it_ \- this was the last conversation she would have with Noctis. She waited for the onslaught of tears, for the pressure behind her eyes, but it never came. Instead, there was a heartbroken sort of calm, a peace that nestled itself somewhere inside of her ribcage, right in between her lungs as he walked over to her, stopping right in front of her. He hesitantly lifted his hand, and slowly, Luna brought her fingers up to his palm-

Both letting out a sigh of relief when Luna’s fingertips touched him and didn’t pass through.

“Wasn’t sure if that would work,” Noctis murmured, watching as she reached farther up to lace their fingers together and dropping their twined hands between them. Luna brought her other hand up to his hair, carding her fingers through the soft black wisps almost curiously. He raised an eyebrow at her, amused, as she smiled and their foreheads came to rest against each other, both closing their eyes and resting in that moment, her arm winding around his neck and his sliding around her waist. There were so many words that hung between them, words that they didn’t have to say, because they were Noct and Luna, able to communicate so much more with each other through one line of text in a red leather notebook.

Their time was running short, Luna knew, when she heard the faint ticking sound in the distance, growing just a little louder each second. Neither one of them opened their eyes, their hands tightening their hold on the other’s. It wasn’t until they were almost out of time, when the ticking was almost right next to them, that Noctis nudged his nose against hers.

“I’ll see you soon,” Luna whispered.

The ticking stopped, and warmth flooded through her as she fell into darkness once more.


	19. Darkness Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun hadn’t risen since Luna’s disappearance, and the full moon that they had been so accustomed to seeing nightly was now a waning moon, getting thinner and thinner every night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry I disappeared for three weeks there. 
> 
> Bad news: this is a short chapter.  
> Good news: it's a short chapter because I originally intended for there to be only one kind of 'intermission' chapter, but with the way it came out, it just worked so much better as two chapters. SO.  
> Good news #2: I already have the next chapter written and completed, so I will be uploading that in a few days after this one :)
> 
> Thank you guys so much for your continued support; you really have no idea how much all your reads, kudos, and comments mean to me! Also a big thank-you to Jen, who helped me beta this chapter after that last one...and after @LariaGwyn gave me THE LOOK (you know EXACTLY which one I'm talking about) like three times as I was telling her what I had planned for this section.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The escape from Gralea had not been easy.

Prompto could have laughed, a full-blown, belly-heaving laugh that he hadn’t done since…since Noctis had passed. ‘Not been easy’ - that was the understatement of the century. They had all watched helplessly, panicking as Luna was sucked up by the Crystal, her screams getting shriller and shriller, until he thought his heart would burst, first from the sounds of her terrified screaming, and then from the absolutely horrifying silence after the light completely engulfed her. But then Ignis’ phone had started ringing- Aranea at the other end shouting at them to _get out of there before the horde of daemons caught up to them-_ and they had hauled ass and run, with no choice but to leave the Crystal behind.

He had kicked himself over and over again in the days after, wondering, always wondering, if there was something he could have done differently. Of them all, he was the one from Niflheim, supposedly gifted with mechanics and the technophile of the group. If he had thought of something faster, then they would have been able to take the Crystal with them and at least that would be safe. That was their one clue to finding Luna again- wherever she was. They had no way of knowing _anything_ , and that was the hard part. Was she alive? Was she dead? Was she suffering? Was she ever returning?

It wasn’t just him either- he could see the same guilt on both Gladio and Ignis’ faces whenever they thought the others weren’t looking. Gladio- he was taking it the hardest. He had been closest to her when it happened, he was the Queen’s Shield, and he had been unable to protect her, never mind that there was _nothing_ he could have done to stop it. And Ignis, for all his genius, couldn’t figure out what had happened or how to get her back. It wasn’t any of their faults, not really, but the blame they placed on themselves was a way of coping…sort of. That was the excuse Prompto gave himself anyway, and a better option than wallowing in helplessness.

And Stella, well…Stella had woken up hours after they escaped, and that, to them, seemed like the only upside in the whole situation.

They had made their way, running and fighting, with Ignis and Gladio flanking him and Stella still unconscious in his arms, down to the hangar where Aranea and her men were waiting, immediately taking off as soon as they had bounded aboard the airship.

That was probably about nine, ten months ago. It was difficult to tell.

The sun hadn’t risen since Luna’s disappearance, and the full moon that they had been so accustomed to seeing nightly was now a waning moon, getting thinner and thinner every night.

Everyone had been confused, not knowing what was happening, and it had been difficult trying to get the whole story out to the rest of Eos. Surprisingly, it was thanks to Camelia Claustra, who had managed to get in contact with them shortly after the events at Zegnautus, that word had spread quickly across most, if not all, media platforms. Without Luna’s physical presence as an influence and figurehead of hope, the people had started to panic. That was when Cor and Iris had met up with the five of them at Hammerhead, the group ultimately deciding that in order to best keep stability among the masses, they would split up to help defend against the daemons and hopefully be able to train the people. High voltage electric fences had been erected, energy generators built, and, thanks to both Cid and Cindy’s expertise, kept in tip-top shape at every fenced-in base that people flocked to, reminding Prompto sickeningly of the concentration camps he had seen in the Empire during his early childhood.

Cor was the one who had first suggested the split, right before they had been attacked by daemons on the road. The conversation had been put on hold as guns and swords and daggers and, thankfully, because they were still able to use it without Luna present, magic fended off the monsters. Just when it looked like they had the upper hand, a sharp female scream pierced the air.

“ _Iris_!” Gladio had roared, swinging his broadsword at the Red Giant in front of him, sparks flying. The bussemands circling her shook their fists, hopping from foot to foot in glee as they prepared to _painfully_ rip her apart with their bare purple hands. He was too far away to help his little sister, terror striking right in the middle of his chest as the monsters advanced toward her, and Iris squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself before the clear ring of Cor’s katana sounded in front of her, the Marshal effortlessly disposing of the daemons. With the battlefield littered with their corpses, he lowered his weapon, turning toward her.

“What happened?”

The younger Amicitia peeked through one eye before fully opening both of them, grimacing in pain. “My shoulder cramped…pretty badly…I think. I panicked.”

Ignis approached her first, gently helping her stand by lifting her arm before inspecting her shoulder, rotating the joint slowly as she winced and hissed in pain. All of a sudden, with a fire unlike any they had seen in her eyes before, she zeroed in her focus on Cor.

“Teach me to fight.”

“Iris, your shoulder cramped, it’s not like you weren’t trying…” her brother tried to say, but she looked at him sharply.

“What if this happens again? I can’t be caught unprepared again. Please, Cor. I was going to join the Crownsguard when I got old enough anyway. Now is the perfect time. I have to fight. I have to learn to defend myself. Because if I can’t, then how will I protect other people?”

Cor gave it only a moment’s thought before he agreed. He didn’t have to warn her it wasn’t going to be easy; as part of the Amicitia family, Iris should have known from personal experience watching her father and brother that the road she chose would not be easy.

So it was that when Cor left for Cleigne, Iris went with him to help with Lestallum’s defenses, and, upon the others’ requests, to check up on Dave and the hunters at the Meldacio Hunter HQ. Last Prompto heard, Cor, Iris, and a small band of others had managed to secure Old Lestallum and Cape Caem as well.

Iris had gone through unofficial Crownsguard nightmare training with Cor- Prompto had watched her fight firsthand after they reunited during a daemon skirmish in the open area right in between Lestallum and Hammerhead where a group of people were fleeing to a Coernix station base for safety. With her brand new katana made and given to her by Randolph, the legendary weapons master, as a gift and in honor of Cor’s training, she had been absolutely _lethal_ , nothing like the unarmed, healer-role she played fighting with them so long ago. In fact, Iris was building quite the reputation as ‘Iris the Daemon Slayer’, single-handedly saving people and fending off crowds of daemons more than once. There were whispers about her up and down the grapevine, and if Prompto felt proud of her, then Gladio was practically bursting with pride.

The four of them- Gladio, Ignis, Prompto, and Stella- had stayed together for a while after wrapping up business in Accordo with the First Secretary. They had decided that Altissia had never had problems with big daemons, and whatever daemons spawned there were small enough for the locals to handle, so there was no need for them to stay. Aranea had given them a ride back to Hammerhead before leaving for Tenebrae to help with both relief and defense, given that the Tenebraeans were nowhere near technologically advanced and weapon-ready for the war with the daemons that lay ahead. If there had been an underlying current of emotion in her words or her eyes when she told them, they had wisely chosen to say nothing. Prompto had a feeling that if he were to ask whether part of the reason she had decided to go was because of Ravus, she would have run him through with her lance without even blinking.

Hammerhead had quickly become the largest bastion in the east for hunters and slayers and normal civilians alike, especially after Galdin Quay had been abandoned due to the lack of natural defenses with the sea and wide, open areas for daemons to appear. Gladio and Ignis had stayed to help stabilize things with Cindy, Cid, and Takka before they headed off to Duscae to secure the Coernix station there and set up another base at Wiz’s, the main bastion of the south. He no longer sent out chocobos for rent or for use, fearing for their safety on the dark roads and the unpredictability of the daemons, but it was only with persuasion from both the Crownsguard members stationed there that a chocobo had shown up at Hammerhead about a month later with a note tied to its neck.

Prompto had laughed at the scribbled sketch of him, and a rough, chibi-looking version of Stella- who gave one of her rare smiles when she saw it, and they had both flipped the note over to see Ignis’ neat writing.

 _Wiz said she could keep this one_.

She had let out a delighted laugh then, the first he had ever heard from her, as she immediately started to pet the chocobo without any reservation or hesitation, the giant yellow bird kweh-ing in happiness. Prompto hadn’t been able to do anything but watch the two of them with a contented smile on his face. She had not only gotten to see a chocobo, but she had gotten to _keep_ the chocobo.

Stella had come so far, so far from the woman he had first met in a cell in Gralea. She was quiet, rarely spoke, and rarely smiled, but when she did, it was like everything was right with the world. When she smiled, when she laughed, it was as if the sun had risen in the dark sky, illuminating everything else around her. Over the course of several weeks, she and the others had found some sort of rhythm, with her and Ignis both being quiet intellectuals, her and Gladio having advanced combative skillsets and also being less vociferous. She and Prompto spent the most time together, however. It may have been because of his open nature and tendency to ramble on even when she was silent that made his presence peaceful to be with. It may have been because they were both so similar, both from the same place and born for the same harsh reasons, that she felt closer to him.

Prompto never asked. Stella never told.

She had been crucial in the initial stages of defense and the setup of defense perimeters around the continent, helping here and there as if trying to atone for the first half of her life and make up for lost time, even if she would never admit it out loud. For the most part, her help was welcome.

Except when she doubled over in pain, a hand over the wound on her chest and the other balled into a tight fist. It had first happened in Accordo, a week after their escape from Gralea, as they had been securing the city’s defenses. Stella had been patrolling with Gladio when all of a sudden, she had stopped walking and hunched over, with her right hand gripping the stone rail in a death grip.

Gladio had refused to continue patrol after that, even at her insistence that she was fine, bringing her right back to The Leville to have Ignis fuss over her.

The only conclusion they had come up with was that it was from the wound on her chest, the black veins still sprawled over her pale skin. Whatever Ardyn Izunia had done to her was still affecting her.

That had marked the start of quiet strolls after patrols, or even after a meal when Stella would get up and walk silently on her own. Some days the others went with her, and some days one of them would walk alongside her, the quiet creating a comfortable atmosphere between them. She would stop sometimes, and look out to the city’s reflection in the waters, the lights dancing in the darkness.

“It’s beautiful at night,” Prompto said once. “And equally as gorgeous in the day.”

“Is that what beauty is?” Stella had asked softly, one of the rare times she spoke on those walks.

Those quiet strolls gave all of them time to take a break in the middle of the insanity, in the middle of fighting for their lives (and countless others). It was those times that gave them the chance to ask the questions they needed to- _Stella, who are you? Why do you and Luna look so alike? Why do you share the same last name?_ And after those were answered, it gave them space to give more reassurance, to ask more questions.

_Stella, you’re your own person. Do you want to change your name? What do you think about Altissia? What do you prefer to eat for breakfast?_

That last one had been Ignis, both Prompto and Gladio letting out chuckles when he asked. To no one’s surprise, Stella had shrugged, not sure. She contemplated for a while, and then had said out of the blue-

_Orange chiffon cake. The one you made two nights ago._

Since then, Ignis had been sure to make the confectionary whenever he could get his hands on the proper ingredients. It was harder, now that the lack of sunlight affected the agriculture, and oftentimes he would have to find a less-than-suitable substitute.

There had been tears on the night that Prompto finally told his brothers the truth about his past, about where he came from. There had been gruff voices and reassurances, one-armed hugs (from Gladio) and hands on shoulders (Ignis), with Stella silently observing the three of them from the side before the four of them continued on their walk.

If any of them had caught her almost-curious gaze that night, they only smiled.


	20. Fading Stars (I Will Be)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “STELLA!” A female voice rang out. Stella couldn’t place who had called her name, but she heard the resounding cracks of gunshots being fired. Somewhere close to her, loud squawks were heard, high-pitched, keening noises.
> 
> Her chocobo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe you were promised a chapter within a few days ;) ohhh boy. Not long til the end now. Thank you, everyone! Thank you to Jen as well, for beta-ing the first half of this chapter :)
> 
> Yes. Chapter title was taken straight from the soundtrack, thank you Florence + the Machine. If you feel so inclined to (read: PLEASE), listen to I Will Be while reading this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

_Was this what having friends was like?_

Even after the weeks, the months that had passed, she still found it difficult to open up, to tell them anything, and _by the Six_ she was not going to tell them that with each time the pain from her wound came back, it worsened exponentially, that she could feel the darkness reaching into her like thick vines wrapping around her insides, and she was _definitely not_ going to tell them about the horrible, horrible thought that she might die from it, no matter how many times it crossed her mind. Yes, the months had been kind to their relationships- they had been more than welcoming to her, and Stella felt more than a little guilty about not being able to let them in in the same way.

Having the chocobo helped. After it had arrived at the garage, it had followed her _everywhere_ , much to the amusement of everyone at the base. With Prompto’s ever so enthusiastic instructions, she had learned to take care of the giant bird and how to read its moods, and then all of a sudden, there had been this rush of _emotion_ for it that Stella hadn’t known could even existed. It was as if having the chocobo there took away her sadness and some of her confusion, making her feel as if she had found something inside her she had been missing.

That feeling wedged itself into her chest, nestled inside her ribcage, gaping a little wider each day she saw the big yellow bird, every time she saw children on the base laugh and run up to play with it, every time she looked at the fond smiles on the adults faces as they watched. Recently, it had been wedging that space wider and wider whenever they received a message from Gladio and Ignis down in Duscae, whenever Prompto had that smile on his face like the sun was shining when he thought she wasn’t looking.

_I will be…_

She was finally learning to live, albeit in a world that was stuck in perpetual night, infested by daemons, but it was her life. It was her time to take chances, to make mistakes, and to learn from them. It was her time to run free, far away from the concrete walls that had been her home for as long as she could remember.

_Silence will not cover me._

* * *

It happened at the worst possible time.

They received news that a group on a supply run had run into trouble going up from Galdin Quay to Hammerhead, and with the amount of supplies they had, the small party was hopelessly outmatched by the enormous and numerous daemons that appeared. There was no way any of them would survive unscathed, and _with_ the supplies they had…they needed backup, and the ones who could get there in time were those stationed at Hammerhead. Prompto, of course, was the first to volunteer- and Stella, surprisingly, who adamantly refused to let him go on his own, in fewer words. A small backup squad had been assigned, but it would take them time to prepare whereas the two blonds were always ready to fight. They didn’t even bother with arranging transport- Stella simply hopped onto her ever-faithful chocobo, held out a hand for Prompto, who took it and jumped on behind her, and they were off like a shot.

_I will be..._

Stella had ridden her chocobo before, but being in the base was nothing like this, with the speed of the bird making her hair fly behind her, giving her an exhilarating sense of freedom to see the landscape that passed them, even when shrouded in the darkness of night. In the back of her mind, she had an image of her hair continually smacking Prompto, and she almost wanted to let out an apologetic giggle. She kept her eyes open for any daemons spawning, should they be attacked, but the daemons were thankfully few and far between, with the chocobo easily outrunning them.

With a jolt, she realized that this was the most she had seen of Lucis since splaying her hands and pressing her face against the windows on Aranea’s airship. Being on the ground was nothing like being in the air, and if Stella had to choose, she would ride on the back of this chocobo across the world forever.

_I will be…_

Of course, they didn’t have that luxury.

The duo met the group, surrounded by daemons, just an hour’s ride out from Hammerhead. Prompto fired an opening shot, the clear sound ringing through the open area, and Stella drew her rapier, rushing head-first toward an Iron Giant that was about to pulverize a man who was trying to haul a large bag of supplies back onto the truck. Her weapon met the daemon’s armor, steel clashing against steel, sending sparks flying. She fought the daemon off barely breaking a sweat as the chocobo ran into the fray, letting out powerful kicks at the smaller daemons.

Months of fighting alongside Prompto had helped them build up their own rhythm and style; while Stella could no doubt hold her own, Prompto also helped with cover fire, and hitting places she might have missed. This time was no different; she would take down one daemon, he would shoot another one coming at her, and then she would kill the next.

A good number of the daemons had been taken care of when a sharp pain shot all over her body from her chest, reaching to the tips of her fingertips and toes, drawing a gasp from her. Stella tightened her grip on her rapier, fending off the swing of the Red Giant’s enormous sword. She barely managed to slide the monster’s weapon to the side before the pain came again with a renewed burst of energy, knocking the wind out of her and putting her on her knees, her right hand clenched around her weapon. It was pure luck that Prompto looked over at that moment, when the Giant raised its sword, prepared to cleave her in half.

“ _STELLA!_ ”

He let out a barrage of shots, the Giant falling back onto the ground before disappearing in a black haze. There was still half a battlefield between them, and not enough time to cover her from all the daemons that had started converging around her. From the corner of her eye, Stella caught a glimpse of a colossal shape in the shadows, slithering toward the supply truck where several, less combat-ready people were attempting to load and guard the bags and crates in the trunk. Her chocobo stood guard, kicking at every daemon that came close, but the bird didn’t see the shadow coming from behind it, and when the moonlight revealed its pallid face, its talon-like nails and its immense snake tail trailing behind it, Stella was sure that her heart had stopped.

The Naga looked down at the chocobo with wide, excited, predatory eyes, nails curved and ready to send the bird to its death. Stella grit her teeth, scrambled onto her feet and ran to her bird, slashing at every daemon in her way. She made it just when the Naga’s claw came down, her rapier slitting open the pale flesh on the underside of its hand. The daemon screeched in pain, angry eyes focused on her now. Stella readied herself for the Naga’s next attack, but the pain then increased tenfold, and she momentarily blacked out. She felt herself falling, but the loud ‘KWEH!’ of her chocobo shook her back to consciousness.

_I will be…_

Her chocobo needed help. The people who were loading and guarding the supplies for those back in Hammerhead needed help. She wasn’t about to let them down, not even with the pain that was making her see spots in the darkness. Shaking her head, Stella blew out a quick breath, mind shoving out the pain and completely focusing on her target, just like the way Ardyn Izunia and General Glauca had taught her all those years ago. She thanked the stars that there was something useful she had learned from them, through all her years of captivity. Her icy blue eyes snapped open and filled with fire when she saw the long, bloody gash on her chocobo’s left wing and heard the almost-pitiful _kweh_ it made, watching the way the Naga’s pale lips pulled upwards into a grimace-like smile, its pointed teeth sinking into its own flesh as it did so. With a low snarl, she leapt toward the daemon, bringing her rapier down as hard as she could.

_Silence will not cover me._

The skin on the Naga’s shoulder split down to its sternum, where Stella’s weapon had landed its hit. It was a deep injury, and blue blood spurted out onto the dark grass, flowing down to the Naga’s already-slick tail. It howled angrily, its long arms and talon-like hands slashing at the air. One of the ends of its nails caught her by surprise, and it gashed her right across her stomach, making her wince. She was sure it wasn’t that deep of a cut; Stella quickly weighed the pros and cons of dodging the hits against blocking them, trying to decide which would help her more as the pain threatened to burst from the mental cage she had shoved it into. Her train of thought was stopped short when a man only a short distance away from her blocked one of the Naga’s flailing arms, but didn’t see its thick tail headed right for him.

“Look out!” She yelled, running over and tackling him out of the way.

She wasn’t quick enough.

The man landed in the grass unscathed, but the Naga’s thrashing tail smashed into her right in her chest and stomach, and the pain that had been locked behind frail bars burst forth, leaving Stella grasping at the grass where she landed, at her rapier, whatever she could find that would ground her to consciousness through the onslaught that felt like a thousand knives plunging into her body and her head all at once.

“ _STELLA!_ ” A female voice rang out. Stella couldn’t place who had called her name, but she heard the resounding cracks of gunshots being fired. Somewhere close to her, loud squawks were heard, high-pitched, keening noises.

Her chocobo.

Someone’s hand was on her arm. “Prompto, you need to get her out!”

Her chocobo had been hurt. She needed to tell someone, needed to get them to take care of it first. The Naga was still loose, and there were people who were going to die if they didn’t take down the daemon.

“Her stomach! It’s bleeding!”

She wanted to tell them that no, the pain was coming from her chest, from the wound that was marked with black veins. She could feel the darkness reaching into her deeper and deeper, clawing its way deep into her chest and down into her belly. She wanted to scream; her blood felt like it was on fire.

_I will be…_

Arms were around her the next moment, lifting her up from the cool grass onto another hard surface.

“IRIS! BEHIND YOU!”

A loud clash of metal. “I’ve got it, we can handle it from here! Meet you back at Hammerhead!”

An engine somewhere roared to life, and then they were moving, each bump on the road agitating her wounds and the ever-spreading darkness, but the night air cooled her heated skin. Whoever was holding her put a hand onto her forehead, and then there was pressure on the wound on her stomach, making her gasp in pain.

“Stella, you need to stay awake.”

It was Prompto. Stella bit down hard on the inside of her cheeks, trying to break through the thick, painful haze.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, pressing a little harder and hearing the small whimper that escaped from her lips. “I’m so sorry, I know it hurts. We’ll get you help, promise. You just need to stay awake.”

A soft _kweh_ was heard, and then there was a feathery soft warmth next to her. Her chocobo was there. It was with her, it was safe. Stella wanted to say something, anything, but it was too much.

The drive seemed to last a lifetime, with each minute she spent trying to force the darkness inside back, trying desperately to fully regain consciousness, to beat the impossibility of opening her eyes.

It wasn’t fair. She had just started to live. She had just started to figure out what beauty really was, how big the world was and how much it had to offer. She had just made friends, good friends, even though she had never been able to tell them how she had learned to appreciate them in the months that they had spent together. She had gone through so much. Why was the world taking everything away from her again? Hadn’t it taken away enough?

_I was meant to be…_

At last, it was finally over. They finally stopped moving, and after a bit of jostling, Stella felt herself being carried somewhere, full of frantic voices and running footsteps, and then, finally, quiet. The uneven feeling of someone walking stopped, and she felt herself being lowered onto something soft.

“Stella?” Prompto’s hand rested on her forehead again, the other pressing against her stomach. Was it bleeding anymore?

Breathing quickly, both from pain and the enormous effort of forcing her eyes to open, Stella let out a low groan, clenching her fists tightly.

“Stella?”

Prompto’s blond head was blurry at first, but she managed to blink a few times, and everything else came into focus.

They were back in her room. Prompto kneeled next to her bed, and her chocobo stood right next to him. He laughed in relief at seeing her opened blue eyes, and if Stella had been able to see clearly, she would have seen that his had been shining with tears.

The darkness was wrapped all around her now; in addition to her wounds, Stella could feel it ravaging through her whole body, constricting and slowly draining the life out of her. There was no pushing it back this time, no way she could fight or win against it. This was what Ardyn Izunia had meant to do, then- give her hope, hope of _finally_ living her life, and then take it all away, slowly as the knowledge and realization of her imminent end ate away at her, drowning her in hopelessness.

Stella let out a dry chuckle. It was now or never

_Silence will not cover me._

“Prompto?” she asked softly, lifting her hand with a herculean effort. He immediately took it, lacing their fingers together.

“Yeah?”

“I’m…” Stella choked back the odd sensation of tears that were threatening to clamp up her throat. “I’m glad to have met you,” she said, the most she had spoken to him…or any of the others…in a single sentence.

Something must have registered in his mind then, because the unshed tears in his eyes broke through the dam and dripped onto her soiled sheets.

“You’re going to be okay,” Prompto told her earnestly, forcing a smile. He put his free hand on her chocobo’s long neck. “You’ve still got lots of places to go and see, right? We can do it on chocobo back again, just like we did earlier.”

She laughed, a sob rising in her chest. “Thank you…for not giving up…”

_On me. Thank you for never giving up on me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you._

Even though she didn’t say those words out loud, she prayed to every star, every deity listening that he knew what she meant.

Prompto’s hand shakily came up to brush her bangs back from her forehead. Stella’s other hand gripped his hand right when he was about to pull away, dragging it down to her cardigan instead and pulling it aside to reveal the dark veins that had now spread all over her chest, the pulsing blackness that was sucking her life away. His blue eyes widened, his hand in hers clenching.

_I was meant to be…_

“I’m glad I had the chance to meet you…and Gladio…and Ignis…and…” she groaned in pain. “When…when Luna comes back…please give her my…my rapier…I want…her to have it…”

_I will be…_

At his nod, she relaxed, her breaths becoming shallower with each second that passed.

_Silence will not cover me._

“I think I’m going to…just take a small nap,” Stella said quietly, giving up the fight and letting her eyes flutter close.

Prompto’s watery hiccup-laugh made her tighten her grip on his hand as much as she could.

_I will be…_

“I’ll ask Ignis for some of that…orange chiffon cake…when I…wake up…”

“The kind you like for breakfast, right? I’ll make sure he has some ready for you,” she heard him promise, felt his hand on her cheek. Stella managed a smile.

“Thank you,” she murmured sleepily. The haze was overtaking her, overtaking the pain, blocking out everything else. She felt the soft feathers of her chocobo against her shoulder.

_I will be brave._

* * *

Prompto didn’t know how long he stayed there, silent tears streaming down his cheeks and with Stella’s hand tight in his. It was gradually losing warmth, but if he just held her tighter, if he just tried a little harder, maybe, maybe…

The only companion he had was the chocobo next to him, obviously grieving as well with the small mourning sounds the bird made instead of its usual enthusiastic ‘kweh’ until he faintly registered the door opening behind him.

“Stella? Stella, are you- oh, Prompto,” Iris said, breathing out a sigh of relief as she walked toward where he sat. “How is…”

She trailed off, taking in the scene, and then there was just silence for a while. Prompto heard her breath hitch as she tried to quiet her sniffs and sobs.

“Gladdy and Ignis are on their way,” Iris finally whispered after her breathing evened out, much later. She put a hand on his still-trembling form, and though he appreciated the small gesture, he couldn’t stop how he shivered when he finally put Stella’s hand down.

* * *

Gladio and Ignis arrived only hours later, with Iris letting them know what had happened- what Prompto ended up telling her. Even for his brothers, he didn’t want to repeat the story ever again. He was busy looking over Stella’s things, speaking with someone as they put together long pieces of wood in the shape of a pyre out in the open area behind Takka’s Diner when they approached him, and he finally, truly fell apart in the presence of two of his brothers.

They wouldn’t talk about it until much later, when the fire from the pyre was burning high in the starry sky, the waning moon in the distance.

“She didn’t open up to us like Luna, but I’m glad we could get to know her,” Ignis said, his hands folded in front of him respectfully, as if in prayer.

It was strange. They hadn’t had the time to know Luna for long, but they had been such strong bonds in the short time that they had together, whereas Stella…she took time, and their relationships weren’t quite as close, but she was starting to open up to them. It was an almost-something. It was a could-have-been, a maybe, a there-might-be, but Prompto brushed those thoughts aside as he wiped at the tears in his eyes with his arm.

“So, what now?” Gladio asked gruffly, the flames reflected in his amber eyes.

Prompto stared at the pyre for a while longer, trying to remember the way Stella had smiled, had tried to live in the time that she had.

“Now? Now we wait,” he finally said. He thought back to the rapier that rested on the desk in his room, and her last request. This was the time to hunker down and wait, this was the time to rest, regroup, and resupply before the end. He could feel it; they could _all_ feel it, looming like a storm cloud above them. Stella had believed Luna would return, she made that clear with her last words- ‘ _when_ ’, not ‘ _if_ ’ Luna comes back.

When. Not if.

However long it took before the end, he and his brothers would wait. They would keep the faith for Eos, for Noctis, for Luna, and for the hope of a new dawn, no matter how long it took.

One month passed.

And then another.

And then in the middle of the famed Disc of Cauthess, the Astral Shard all lit up with an ethereal blue flame at night, there was a gust of wind, and then a blonde figure with tattered clothes and a trident in its grip appeared.


	21. The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It is time, Oracle Queen. The Astrals stand ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay cliffhanger last chapter! Boo shorter chapter...this chapter. But yay for plot moving! Boo for this fic to start coming to a close...
> 
> As promised, I now have a new oneshot up! It's a cute ficlet full of puns and bad jokes, set in the everyone's alive!AU, which was a good, light-hearted change of pace from this story, so if you haven't seen it, feel free to check it out :)
> 
> Thank you guys for being so patient with me and for sticking with this story the past few months. You all have been so incredible and supportive. Thank you.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

Iris was used to seeing strange occurrences all the time, especially now that the world had been completely run over with daemons. She crept silently along the streets of Lestallum on her patrol shift in the perpetual night, the light wind enough to invigorate her senses a little. Never ending nights meant weird sleep schedules, and her body had taken the longest time to adjust to the darkness, her circadian rhythm completely and utterly messed up. She looked down at her watch, reading 10:43PM in bold white numbers, and allowed herself another sigh.

Another shift with nothing happening. Lestallum was generally one of the better spots because of its natural defenses, with an enormous cliff on one side and fences on both sides of the town, barring any entrance from the tunnel to the east and from the mountains in the west. The fence that had already surrounded the power plant became the back fence of the city, and they had reinforced it best they could to keep out the daemons that would have snuck around the power plant to get to the rest of the city. Making it out of the backroad, Iris turned right onto the main street and crossed to the outlook, where the Disc of Cauthess glowed an unearthly blue, the flames slowly, serenely rippling up and fading into the stars above. Leaning against the rocky wall, she rested her elbows on top, dropping her chin onto her arms to admire the sight. It was her favorite place to go to, as often as she could. She had already spent hours upon hours just standing or sitting there, looking out at the Cleigne landscape.

What she didn’t expect that night as she stood there was for the Astral Shard to burst into a brilliant orange-colored flame instead of the blue, the change happening so abruptly it put all her senses on high alert, and she immediately drew her katana without a second thought. Her heart smashed against her ribcage as she watched with wide eyes the flames that burned higher and higher, and then a loud roar, louder than any daemon she had faced in the past year, sounded all across Cleigne. The Disc shifted then; she could see every single movement that happened in the bright light as the Astral Titan rose from the earth, still bearing the enormous meteor on his shoulders. Titan let out another loud roar, and a bright flash of light made Iris shield her eyes with her arm, lowering it slowly when it faded.

The Astral Shard still burned orange-gold, the light from its flames not fading. Tires screeching on the road pierced through Iris’ shock and grabbed her attention- one look at Cor’s face and the waiting squad in the van had her hopping in without a second thought.

* * *

It didn’t feel real, even with the wind dying down around her, the dust and dirt settling onto the ground. She looked down at her hands, hands that were scraped and dirtied with blood and grime, her left palm-up, her right clenched around her trident. Looking down at her shoes and attire, her black combat boots were covered in mud, her white top now streaked with dirt and sweat, her black hoodie well-worn and ready to tear at any moment.

This time, she had no problems remembering what had happened. She knew, more certain than ever before, what she would have to do. Curling her left hand into a fist, she surveyed her surroundings, knowing instantly where she was. She closed her eyes as she tapped into the well of powers inside her- there was no longer a barrier in between her and the Power of Kings, the power flexing and curling and joining with her Oracle’s Powers into one, both bending to her will as Master. The command flowed seamlessly and easily, just like water, and her magic reacted with barely a single push, barely any effort at all.

One instant, she was alone in the enormous crater of the Disc of Cauthess. The next, a rumble shook the earth, and then the meteor bearing the Astral Shard rose as she called forth Titan, the Archaean, who roared as if announcing his coming. His orange-yellow eyes stared right at her, into her when he roared again.

A gust of cold wind blew past her, and she turned to find a single person walking toward her from the shadows.

Gentiana, dressed in her traditional black kimono dress, made her way across the crater with her eyes closed, her white wrap and long black hair flowing behind her. Her lips barely move when she spoke aloud.

“It is time, Oracle Queen. The Astrals stand ready.”

Lunafreya Nox Caelum lifted her head and looked at the waning moon in the sky.

* * *

The Imperial gates leading to the Disc had long been trashed, granting the small party and their car (really, it was more like a small tank with how Randolph had modified it) access to the Disc itself. They moved slowly, cautiously; up close, they could see the summoned Astral, who was paying them no mind- and, as far as Cor was concerned, it should stay that way. He had no idea how an Astral would react to a group of mortals without the Oracle there.

It turned out that he didn’t have anything to worry about.

They had barely made their way to the Disc proper when Titan turned to them, all of their hearts momentarily stopping in their chests as the Archaean’s gaze settled on them, and he lifted his enormous hand.

No matter what he had come up against, Cor didn’t often feel intimidated. In fact, he found that there were only two moments in his life where he was completely helpless- the first being the fall of Insomnia and of the King, and the second being now, up against an Astral who looked ready to kill. He wasn’t going down without a fight, of course, as he slowly put his hand on his katana, noting Iris was doing the same.

To their immense surprise, Titan put his hand down, palm-up, right in front of them, to reveal what he had been carrying, a small, blonde figure who slowly walked off onto the Disc, barely a hundred feet in front of the tank. Titan withdrew his hand and, in a flash of light, he disappeared, the Astral Shard burning blue instead of orange once again.

Cor didn’t even have a chance to assess the turn of the situation when he saw Iris practically _fly_ out of the car, her harsh footsteps resounding loudly on the stone beneath her boots as she ran to the figure, flinging herself at them in a bear hug.

“ _LUNA_!”

The Marshal’s eyes widened. Was it-? Could it really…?

* * *

Luna wasn’t sure who it was or what she was expecting when Titan very obviously wanted her to climb onto his hand and lifted her, high above the ground, only to set her down in front of extremely bright lights. She brought an arm up to shield her eyes, but as soon as she did, it was knocked out of the way when something- some _one_ \- barreled right into her, yelling her name.

“ _LUNA_!”

That feminine voice sounded so familiar, but it felt like forever, and before she knew it, the person pulled back enough for her to see-

“Iris?” her voice came out hoarse, the vibration testing her rusty vocal chords though it had been mere _moments_ before when she had been talking to Noctis and Ardyn and Bahamut. Her throat felt dry, parched, and her limbs more than a little stiff.

Iris gave her another quick hug before letting her go, her eyes searching for answers when she shook her head, as if trying to re-focus herself.

“Questions. Lots of questions. Can wait,” she muttered, tugging gently on Luna’s arm and guiding her toward the light.

“Wait, Iris,” Luna said, clearing her throat several times. “Wait. What happened? How am I here? The others?”

The look Iris gave her made her stomach sink even before she heard the girl’s answer.

“Luna,” she replied patiently, with urgency and slight panic in her amber eyes. “You’ve been gone a year.”

* * *

A year. A year. _A year_.

Iris’ words echoed in her ears, long after they arrived back at Lestallum and they had set her up with a room in the Leville. She lay on the bed in fresh clothes, trying and failing to fall asleep, too many thoughts running through her mind. To her, only hours had passed between waking up from the dream to seeing Noctis, and then from that to appearing at the Disc. How could it have been a whole year?

Fury began to bubble in her chest as she glared at the ceiling. Did Bahamut know, when he was busy telling her things she already knew? Did he know and didn’t tell her? How _dare_ he take away a whole year of her life?

_Or was he being merciful, knowing she didn’t have much, if any, time left at all?_

Luna huffed, grabbing the spare pillow and putting it over her face. The world was now overrun by daemons. It was never ending night. The time has come for the Abomination to face his judgment, and she was the one to deliver it. Iris had refused to tell her much else, waving her off and saying she needed her rest, and that everything else could wait until later. Before taking her to her room, she had called Gladio to tell him the news, and received instructions to meet them at Hammerhead the next supposed ‘day,’ and then Luna had been left only with clean clothes and a towel.

The shower helped a little bit as the hot water ran over her skin, Luna never noticing how sore her muscles were until that moment. She felt like a cat in the water, kneading the aches and stretching out as much as she could, washing the grime and grease out of her hair before toweling off and putting on the loose, comfortable clothes she had been given while Iris tossed her own clothes into the wash. Now with everything done and nothing else to focus on, she had tried to sleep, but it just wouldn’t come. Luna turned to the bedside clock, reading 1:36AM in red numbers. She put the pillow over her face again. She turned to the side, and then rolled back onto her bed.

Nothing. Nothing until she heard scratching at her door, and then she was instantly alert, rolling out of bed and Engine Blade in hand before she even had a conscious thought. Cautiously, she approached the door, and opened it a crack to reveal the last thing she expected to see.

Her white dog stared up at her, tongue out and panting as her tail wagged happily. Luna immediately dismissed the blade and flung the door wide open, dropping onto her knees.

“ _Pryna_!”

Pryna let out a soft bark, and Luna felt the tell-tale sign of the impending tears. The dog nuzzled into her neck, giving her, for the first time, an anchor in the middle of everything that had happened and everything she still had to face.

* * *

Despite the lack of sleep the night before, Luna felt just a little bit better, that much more confident as she put her own clothes on that Iris brought up to her that ‘morning.’ Pryna lay on her bed, silently watching her mistress move around the room- not that Luna had much to do; really, it was just busy work with her tidying everything she had touched and used the night before. Everything she had before she disappeared a year ago, she was told, had been taken to Hammerhead, where Cindy and the others kept for her.

The small company flew through the Cleigne landscape a mere half an hour later, with both Cor and Iris leaving Lestallum to accompany her to Leide. She had tried to explain the situation, but the Marshal only gently- as gently as he could, anyway- stopped her and told her to wait until they arrived at Hammerhead, something Luna was glad for. She felt that she should explain out of respect and in light of the situation, having been missing a whole year _without her knowledge_ , but she was far from able to gather her thoughts enough to be coherent. The drive would help her figure out what she needed to say, when she would be reunited with Gladio, Ignis, Prompto, and Stella.

Dear the Six Astrals, was she wrong. The familiar scenery only managed to pry open the hole in her heart even more with its bare hands; she could feel the ache as it intensified, trying to drink each sight in before it was too late, and not paying nearly enough attention to the words that needed to be said. Her dread grew, and even with Pryna’s warm body on her lap, she couldn’t help but shiver, wrapping her worn black hoodie even tighter around herself.

The drive itself took several hours, but when Luna saw the Hammerhead sign, it was as if she hadn’t left. Someone opened the gate for them, a gate that hadn’t been there when she was last there, and she was altogether unprepared for the moment her three closest friends came out and stood in the floodlights to meet her.


	22. Queensglaive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m so sorry.”
> 
> The guilt was eating away at her, had been, since Iris’ first words to her at the Disc of Cauthess. “I didn’t want to be gone for a year- I…didn’t even know it had been a year. It wasn’t intentional, but it doesn’t change the fact that I had left you all to fight on your own, no matter how capable. I couldn’t help, I wasn’t there to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been gone nearly a month :( this chapter kicked my butt so hard, and I don't even know why. But here you go! :) the reunion chapter you've all been waiting for...
> 
> Also, if you haven't played Episode Prompto yet, make sure you have plenty of chocolate and tissues.
> 
> Thank you guys for all your kudos, comments, and reads :) y'all are the best.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The tension was so thick Luna couldn’t breathe. Her lungs felt constricted; the coil around her chest tightened as she got out of the car and Pryna jumped down from her lap, as she stood and slowly made her way over to three of the closest friends she had ever known. It grew tighter with every move she made, every breath she struggled to take until she stood right in front of them, looking full into Gladio’s amber eyes down to Ignis’ shades, and then to Prompto, taking in the changes the year had made to them, the year she had been gone. She held her breath.

“Hi,” Luna whispered, breaking the silence.

Gladio stepped up toward her first, respectfully inclining his head before fully assessing her for injuries. “You good?” he asked gruffly, as if holding back his emotions. Ignis took this as his cue to bow.

“Your Majesty,” he murmured.

Prompto stood stock-still for another moment before he quickly walked up to her, giving her a tight, but brief, hug, and then letting his arms drop to step back next to Gladio.

It took all of Luna’s self-control to not collapse from relief. This was not what she had expected- she had expected tears, she had expected anger and doubt, and possibly some yelling. She expected to be accused of leaving them, of having to explain and apologize to them on her knees, had expected the guilt of her leaving them to swallow her whole, but in that moment, she almost wanted to smack herself for the lack of faith she had in them. After all they had been through together, she had doubted them, had doubted their friendship, and _that_ ton of guilt was what crushed her. Instead, she bit down on her bottom lip, and managed a small smile.

“What did I miss?”

* * *

When Aranea Highwind arrived at Hammerhead an hour after Luna, she found the small group- Luna, Iris, Prompto, Cor, Gladio, and Ignis- sitting in front of the garage where Cindy was working on a rather beat-up car inside. She noticed the tell-tale reflection of tears that were dammed up in Luna’s eyes, the rapier she held in her hands that she recognized once belonged to Ravus and Stella, and stilled the demand for answers and the proclamations of relief that were right on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she only managed one word when she got there, everyone in the small circle looking up at her.

“Luna.”

The Queen closed her eyes as Prompto moved over to make room for Aranea, glad that the Dragoon had ditched her spikey armor in favor of a leather jacket, a long red scarf, and leather pants with matching red fingerless gloves and long boots. With how cold it’s been since the sun had long set, it was evident she wanted to stay warm. Made sense, he supposed, what with her speed and her combative skillset, the daemons wouldn’t stand a chance against her, even without armor.

When Luna finally looked back at her companions, she cleared her throat, and began to tell her story. The trip from Lestallum hadn’t helped any in gathering her thoughts, but she knew she damn well owed them an explanation, after everything Prompto and the others had told her she missed in the year she was gone.

 _Stella._ If Luna had been stronger…if she had been able to fully access all of her powers, would she have been able to save her then? If they had just had the _time_ , would they have been close, like in the dream world? Would they have had the chance to be sisters, and not just two people possessing the same DNA because of a horrific science experiment? Would they both have found family, despite losing everything else, including Ravus? It was no surprise, then, that when Luna opened her mouth, the first words she could muster were-

“I’m so sorry.”

The guilt was eating away at her, had been, since Iris’ first words to her at the Disc of Cauthess. “I didn’t want to be gone for a year- I…didn’t even know it had been a year. It wasn’t intentional, but it doesn’t change the fact that I had left you all to fight on your own, no matter how capable. I couldn’t help, I wasn’t there to help.”

Dear the Six Astrals above, was _this_ was what Ravus was talking about just a short while ago when he told her she had a savior complex? She mentally snorted at the irony of it- the person who was supposed to save the world having a savior complex. Luna took a deep breath to steady herself.

“After we found the Crystal…I just…woke up, like I had been sleeping for a long time. But it was weird, I woke up in Insomnia, in this huge room, with no memory of how I got there or even just…well, anything. I couldn’t remember anything. And then…” she clenched her fists, steeling herself to keep going. “And then I saw these two little girls. They…they called me Mama. I had two little girls,” she almost chuckled, shaking her head. “The older one…she had black hair. The little one had blonde hair. And then Noctis came in, and the two of them yelling ‘Daddy!’ almost gave me a heart attack.”

It wasn’t until a handkerchief appeared in front of her blurry vision did she realize she had started crying, with tears streaming down her face. Luna hastily took the cloth from Ignis and quickly wiped her tears away, sniffing loudly once before she barreled on. “Memories started coming back to me during the day, but they weren’t real. It was as if the longer I was there, the more false memories I had. Memories of my family. Of Noctis. Of how things might have been different if this war hadn’t taken so much. If the world was at peace. You were all there too,” she said, looking around the circle. “It was…literally the perfect life. All of us were so happy. Stella was there, and so was Ravus. Everyone loved our girls. We really were one big, happy…family.”

Pryna trotted up to the group, laying down next to Luna’s feet. She ran her fingers through the dog’s soft fur, letting her companion’s calmness wash over her like a waterfall.

“What were their names?” Ignis asked gently, the first time anyone spoke up since Luna started talking. She gave him a sad smile.

“The older one was Diana. She was six years old, and looked like Noctis. But took after my personality more, I should think. The little one was Dawn, four years old, and about this tall,” she said, lifting up her arm. “She looked like me. Had all of Noctis’ dislike of vegetables though.” That drew a few small laughs.

The gaping hole that had been in the center of her chest, aching since she woke up inside the Crystal, seemed to fill in, just a little, enough for her to feel the slight difference, as she told them about the dream world. She told them every detail she could remember, all the false memories she had of the daughters she and they loved so much, of the ways each of them would spoil them, their family dinners and the crazy things that they had done together- like that time they watched Noctis warpstrike down the side of the Citadel- and at the end of her story, nearly an hour later, there had been laughs, there had been tears, and the ache Luna felt seemed to ease up, if only just a little.

“I woke up,” she said, fingering the ends of her hoodie sleeves, suddenly nervous. “Inside the Crystal. And I met, Bahamut, where he told me that the life I had been living…had been a lie. A test, to see if I was worthy.”

“That’s a jerk move,” Iris murmured, rubbing her hands together. Luna blew out a laugh.

“Yeah. I suppose it…makes sense.” She looked up to the dark sky, steeling herself for the words she knew she had to say. She had to tell them. That wasn’t even an option. Luna clenched her fists and held her breath. “If the savior has to be a martyr, then they have to believe in their cause to the very end, even in the face of what they want the most.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, mentally wincing at the moments of silence that came after. No one said anything. No one dared to even breathe. Luna thought she might pass out from waiting for something, anything to happen.

“Did you know?” Ignis asked quietly, breaking the silence at last. She slowly let out the breath she held, careful to keep her voice steady. There was no point in lying; she couldn’t, even if she wanted to, not to them and not now.

“Yes.”

“Would it have happened to Noctis? Did you know this would happen to him?”

His tone was flat, without any emotions Luna could decipher. A pang shot through her heart; those were the questions she desperately wanted to keep the answers to, never to be spoken aloud.

“Yes.”

Would they see that as betrayal? That she would still have sent Noctis to his death, knowing full well his destiny?

The tension was stifling, making it difficult to breathe properly as each person absorbed the news. Was it any surprise, then, that Aranea was the one to slice clean through it?

“Well, that’s settled, then,” she said, stretching her arms into the air. Everyone’s heads snapped toward her, both in surprise and in confusion. Her stormy eyes gazed firmly at each of them. “Really?” Aranea huffed, exasperated. “Fine. If I have to spell it out for you, Luna and Noctis were obviously very much in love with each other. As Oracle and his childhood friend and fiancé, she obviously would have done everything she could to help Noctis out, even- especially- if she knew how things were going to end. Don’t you remember Altissia? You lot know her much better than I do, so why am I the one telling you all this? If Luna had it her way, this wouldn’t have been the way the story would end for Noctis.”

The Dragoon shook her head, muttering something that sounded like ‘oblivious men’ under her breath, but then kept quiet, waiting for someone else to speak. Luna wrung her hands together nervously, almost afraid to look up, but there was more to the story, more they needed to hear.

“Because I’m not part of the line of Lucis, I have to earn my right to wield their power,” she murmured, her fingers brushing against the Ring of the Lucii. She kept her gaze firmly on the jewel that sparkled on top. “Noctis was there. And…Ardyn Izunia was with him. But it was weird, it was off- the Ardyn Izunia with him was the human part of him, the one that had been the Healer those thousands of years ago before the daemon took over his body. He was like Ravus.” Luna cleared her throat. “Asking me to end it. His suffering. And then the Kings of Lucis came to judge me, to see for themselves whether or not I was worthy.”

“You were,” Aranea said, with no hesitation and no room for argument.

Luna didn’t confirm or deny it, but the look of appreciation she gave her got her message across. “I have to finish the work that Noctis began,” she said firmly, looking back up at her friends for the first time since she told them about her impending fate. She unconsciously held her breath, waiting for them to say something, anything, when Gladio stood up, walking in front of her and kneeling down so that they were eye-to-eye.

“I swore fealty to you in Altissia,” he told her gently. “Because Noct would have wanted it that way. If his last wish was for you to save the world, then I damn well sure will do what I can to make that happen. But you, Luna, you are our friend as well, and you have our- my,” he corrected hastily. “Loyalty. I’ll see it through with you to the end.”

If Luna was any more emotional at that moment, she probably would have burst into tears. As it was, the cavity in her chest closed more, relief mixing with the nervousness at the silence of the others who had yet to speak up. Gladio sat down again, not before shooting Cor a look before he did. Aranea almost scoffed, but she finally settled for a smirk, a smile at the corner of her lips. “I’ll go too,” she said, successfully shocking everyone in the circle. “Ravus asked me to help, and Luna, for what you’re trying to do, you’re going to need it.”

She was just full of surprises. Recovering from her shock, Luna nodded gratefully, offering her a small smile. Aranea playfully rolled her eyes, leaning back and waiting on the others who had yet to speak up. Prompto was next, after he managed to stop his leg that was bouncing nervously up and down.

“We’re buds, Luna,” he said, taking on an air of cheeriness that no one had seen from him since Stella passed. “Where you go, I’ll go.”

Luna bit her lip and steeled her gaze, forcing herself to look at Ignis, who was next to him. The brunet shook his head, and for a moment, she felt her world crumble. Of course. He was the one who took the longest to warm up to her, the most effort to build up their friendship, to be shattered because she had known the fate of his Prince and still didn’t say anything. To her immense relief, so much so that she thought she might pass out, Ignis met her gaze with a firm look. “You fought for Noct, and for all of us. There’s no reason for us to leave your side now.”

“I’m going too!” Iris piped up next, nearly punching Cor in the arm. The Marshal only wordlessly nodded. Luna nearly cried. They didn’t think less of her for knowing how the story would end. They weren’t going to abandon her to face her fate alone. She stood up, bowing deeply to them.

“I thank you all,” she murmured, reminiscent of the very start of their journey in Altissia. As she straightened, a cold gust of wind, the tell-tale sign that Gentiana was there, blew to where they were sitting, the black-haired woman walking calmly up to them.

“The Oracle Queen has been deemed worthy of the power of the Lucii,” Gentiana spoke with her soft lilt, eyes closed. She raised her arms, and immediately, a renewed energy and power filled each one of them, preparing them for the battles ahead. Titan’s strength gave them steadfastness, Leviathan’s ferocity gave them determination, Ramuh’s judgment gave them wisdom, Shiva’s compassion gave them courage, and Bahamut’s resolve gave them endurance.

“With the blessings of the Astrals, go forth, the Queen and her Glaive, and restore the dawn to Eos.”


	23. Edge of the Precipice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small smile graced her lips. “I’m not alone. After those long years in the hold of the Empire, I’m not alone here, at the end. Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO!
> 
> I'm back :) it's a shorter chapter, but an important chapter that's building towards the final confrontation in Insomnia. I just want to thank you guys for being amazing and for supporting this story all the way through, even if it took me three or four weeks to update at times.
> 
> ANNOUNCEMENTS!  
> So that series I was talking about a few chapters ago, the one based off of the AU Luna had to live through the Trial of Bahamut? The first fic of that series is up!! Check my works for the direct link :) I'm super duper excited about it, since I totally and completely fell in love with that world and with Diana and Dawn, as a lot of you have told me :) I'm really glad you guys liked it, no matter how angst-filled it was in this fic, it's now a concrete reality in that series.  
> *****IT'S ALSO A PROMPT-DRIVEN SERIES! It will be a collection of shots and drabbles, and if there's a prompt you want me to write out, PLEASE comment on that fic, on here, or message me on tumblr @ finalfantasyx :) looking forward to writing family stuff after all this angst...LOL
> 
> This is the last "rest" chapter in this story. After that, we'll plow straight through what I'm estimating to be three, possibly four chapters until the end.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The Regalia purred along the dark road, running as quietly and smoothly as Luna remembered. Cindy had done an amazing job, really, above and beyond, with the tune-up, including the anti-daemon lights she had installed, and the extra bits and pieces the engine needed for a boost if they _were_ to encounter any daemons along the way back into Cavaugh and, ultimately, Insomnia. It was one more mercy, the small blessing of a smooth ride before the end. Before _her_ end.

In front, Prompto, driving steadily, was humming a soft tune she didn’t recognize. Next to him was Gladio, his eyes never staying still, on guard for anything that might approach them before they arrived at their destination- the warded campsite that overlooked the West Gate of Insomnia, giving them what would have been a spectacular view of the West Bridge. Ignis sat on the other side of Aranea, who was in the middle, quiet and observant as his gaze flitted along the dark landscape. Luna’s jaw tightened. When she had healed him, he said he could see slight colors through the layer of gray film over his vision. She wondered how much he could actually see in the darkness. Pryna let out a soft whine, and her hands buried themselves in her companion’s fur, giving her gentle scratches.

They came to the agreement that Cor and Iris should stay behind to guard Hammerhead, and, by extension, Eos. Cor being the most powerful warrior of them all, and Iris, whom already had the people’s trust and could more than fend for herself, were deigned the last line of defense, the failsafe, in case anything went wrong.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut. There would be no room for error on this mission.

When the decision was made, Iris nearly broke down, her tears instantaneous when her amber eyes swiveled over to Luna, horror marking her face. Not even Gladio was able to calm her down as she rushed at the blonde, clinging to her as she cried and cried and cried, her fears and refusals to say goodbye, the thought of it being her last time she would see Luna, and the feeling of helplessness of staying behind as her brother and friends left for the Crown City coming out in incoherent bits and pieces punctuated with wails and sobs and sniffles. It wasn’t until the girl was spent, sagging into Cindy’s arms after Luna passed her over and her tears had dried did they leave, with Gladio giving her a tight hug and promising to see her soon enough. Luna was determined that no matter what, she would keep her friends alive, even if she wasn’t at the end of the night.

It felt still, too still, too silent when Prompto cut the engine as they approached the enormous boulder, carved with numerous protective wards against daemons that shone with a soft blue light in the darkness. No one said a word as they unpacked their equipment and set up camp, the tent to the side, five chairs around the center, and then the stove for Ignis before Gladio lit the fire in the middle of the camp. The crackling flames created a soft, crooning lullaby as the warm light blanketed them all in the first sense of peace in a long time.

They were under no illusion that the peace would last, knowing only that it was the start of the storm looming overhead. Luna thought back to her days in Tenebrae, the sky a darkened gray color, air heavy with the humidity and moisture that was trapped in the clouds above, the sure sign of the coming of a storm. She wondered, if she just tried hard enough, whether she could reach back to those days, to when she was still a child and her mother and brother were still with her, and, if she just tried a _little_ harder than that, reached a little further, see her father’s smiling face as he carried her out to the hill of sylleblossoms. She thought back to the one day she and Noctis were out there, caught in the rain as one of the wheels on his wheelchair got stuck in the mud, and Maria and the other housekeepers ran out to get them as they laughed, the sound carefree and clear, even as they were shivering, their clothes completely soaked through, and were both fussed over.

Luna looked down at the bowl in her hands, the small meal Ignis made, and pushed away the morbid thought that it would be her last. Instead, she gently set it down on the rock, folding her hands together on her lap.

“I never said it enough,” she started softly, her rusty vocal chords making her voice slightly raspier than she had intended it to be. “But thank you all. Your friendship…is truly the greatest gift I could ever receive. You all have taught me so much,” she said, looking around now that she had everyone’s attention. “This path had never been easy to walk…not for any of you…but you made it the best it could have been and kept going, even when you felt that you lacked the strength. Even when I felt that I lacked the strength, you were there to help me through. I don’t have to be alone.”

A small smile graced her lips. “I’m not alone. After those long years in the hold of the Empire, I’m not alone here, at the end. Thank you.”

Prompto’s blue eyes looked like they were shining with tears, and even Gladio, with his amber ones reflecting the flames licking upwards from their fire, seemed to burn with emotion.

“I’ve known this was to happen all my life,” Luna continued, licking her dry lips. “But it’s not much of a sacrifice anymore, if only to give back what you have given to me.”

From afar, in the dark, Insomnia looked like she remembered it as she first stepped foot into the city on the day of the peace treaty signing. The abandoned buildings stood tall in the distance, the night too dark and distance too far to see the whole of the devastation she remembered as she dredged up the memories of Libertus driving her to the city gates, when Nyx had proven himself to the Kings of Lucis and summoned the Old Wall.

She looked around the circle to her companions once more. They had all lost so much- homes, families, friends, the things and the ones they loved and held closest to their hearts, only to have them ripped away time and time again. No matter who they lost, what they lost, no matter how much they gave, it never seemed to be enough. It was never enough. Luna fought against the dark, humorless laugh that rose within her. Her name- ‘moon.’ The moon dies at the end of the night to make way for the sun, for the dawn to come.

_After this, no more. No more. No more will suffer this way. The Astrals will not be part of this world, the gods will have no place in the new dawn. Damn you all._

Maybe it was sacrilegious for her as the Oracle to have such thoughts, but it was Gentiana’s gentle understanding that washed through her, giving her a small sense of comfort. Likewise, it was Gentiana’s icy nature that reminded her of what lay ahead, the resolve that before the night ended, she would have to take a human life into her hands. Luna gripped her fingers tighter, the image of the human Ardyn in her mind’s eye. She was fighting for him. She would have to kill him- kill the daemon- to set him free. He had suffered for two millennia. No more. No more.

The crackle of the fire filled the silence in the wake of her words, giving them each a moment to gather their thoughts. This was the chance to say everything they needed to say, but what _could_ one say at the end of the road? All journeys began and end. What was started must be finished. They all knew this; it was a fact of life.

But it didn’t make it any easier.

“I’m glad to have had the chance to get to know you, Luna,” Prompto said first, unsurprisingly, breaking the silence. “I know Stella felt the same way. She believed in you,” he looked into the bright flames. “She said _when_ you returned. Not if. She knew you would come back.” He looked straight into her eyes, blue to blue. “I’m glad we have the chance to fight with you now.”

“You gave me my sight back,” Ignis murmured, drawing everyone’s attention. “We didn’t get off on the right foot, Luna, but I’m glad to be here with you now.”

Aranea’s voice sounded like the crack of a whip, sharp, clear, but not condescending. “Ravus believed in you,” she told her. “He did everything he could for you, so you could go save the world. So save the world.”

Luna’s bright eyes shone with tears, her resolve gathering once more as she took in the moment, the feeling of just _being_ with her friends, all of them still, at this hour, before the real battle began. It was the gentle nod from Gladio that pushed her tears over the edge, causing her to hurriedly wipe them away with the back of her sleeve.

“I’m ready,” she told them, her voice barely wavering. Ignis cracked a smile.

“It’s good to hear.”

She couldn’t help it- an almost full-blown grin stretched her lips, and with a twinkle in her eye and a tone that sounded suspiciously like Noctis, she released her hands from their nervous hold and held their gazes as she said, “Well…what can I say? You guys…are the best.”


	24. The Infernian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Who will fall first: us or them?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After two weeks, I'm back!! Sorry for taking so long =\ but I bring you a new chapter that's 4k+ words, so I feel slightly more justified...
> 
> Updates: I've finally planned out the rest of this fic, and there's only four chapters left until the end :( but THANK YOU to you all for sticking with me for so long!! This is literally the longest thing I've written, and definitely the most popular. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me through this crazy ride. I hope you guys enjoy the rest of it :)
> 
> For those who didn't see this last chapter, the series I've planned around the Trial of Bahamut being reality AU (Caelus Aeternus) is now up! I've published the first work that's part of that collection, and have gotten a few prompts for it already, so THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN! More prompts are always welcome :) 
> 
> I'm currently out of town, but I really wanted to get this chapter up for you guys. I'll try to hurry with the next chapter, but I have to also finish another work for Caelus Aeternus and a chapter of Oncoming Storm before I do, so thank you all for your patience :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV.

Insomnia was vastly different from what she remembered.

Nyx’s final battle in summoning the Old Wall had completely torn the City apart, trying to take down the Imperial daemon and General Glauca- Titus Drautos, the Captain of the Kingsglaive. She remembered Libertus’ face, the one he wore when he watched her walk away at the West Gate, had been full of false hope, but not yet resignation- the face of a man trying to convince himself that his brother, his best friend would return, knowing in the deepest part of his heart he was already dead. Luna wondered what he looked like now, whether he returned to Galahd, whether he ever made it back. Was he still waiting, hoping against hope, for Nyx to go home? Was he still waiting for the dawn to break, or was he-

She squeezed her eyes shut. The end was in sight; she needed to focus. If Libertus was still alive, then he was one of the many people she fought for too.

It seemed almost surreal as she, Pryna, Gladio, Ignis, Aranea, and Prompto walked down one of Insomnia’s main streets as they headed toward the towering Citadel, still lit up, even now. Part of her wondered whether it was Ardyn’s doing, illuminating his crowning achievement in the darkness. The six of them stopped for a moment to take in the sight of the still far-off building.

“Home sweet home,” Gladio murmured from next to her, swinging his summoned broadsword over his shoulder.

“Yeah, at long last,” Prompto almost sighed. Ignis nodded.

“What we’ve been waiting for.”

The blond hummed in agreement “Sure is.”

Gladio looked up at the sky scraper, taking a moment before saying, “Next stop: the Citadel.”

Luna’s right hand curled into a fist, feeling the cool metal of the Ring of the Lucii. She didn’t need to look to her left and right to see her friends next to her, didn’t need to look back at the way they came. Instead, she put one foot ahead of the other with confidence, her head held high as they made their way down, each step taking them closer to their goal- and to her end.

Waves of daemons stood in between them and their goal, the four of them fighting in a synchronized way they never have before. Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis almost felt like they were fighting with Noctis again, the brothers having perfected fighting alongside each other and trusting one another for so long that it was all instinct; with Luna, having access to the Power of Kings and with all they knew about each other over the time they had spent the past weeks, months…years…it was else altogether, something new, and something just as treasured as the time they had with their King before Altissia, their attacks, counters, and defenses all flowing together seamlessly. All of them had continued to train in Luna’s absence, hoping to make Noctis, hoping to make each other, to make her, to make all those they had loved and lost, proud. Aranea, being the skilled warrior she was, fit easily into their group, her attacks finding a rhythm that matched theirs, each move carefully calculated and ruthlessly executed.

Prompto fired off the opening shots and providing cover fire while Aranea attacked from above. Ignis and Luna took care of the daemons at close range, the latter zipping through the air with her warpstrikes, barely stopping before Gladio was there to smash the daemon into a bloody mess, one more carcass on the streets of the City, their City, that had seen so much bloodshed.

Goblins and Hobgoblins and Iron Giants and Nagas alike came at them, angered at having the dark streets disturbed after so long. They fought all the way to the end of the road, leaving a trail of daemon corpses in their wake, where an enormous pile of rubble and debris blocked their path, guarded by a spider-like monster: Ariadne. It reared back, clicking its long pincers and raising their front legs in a show of aggression, slashing down at them. Gladio easily parried and deflected, taking advantage of the opening to slice clean through its pincers while Luna performed three warpstrikes in a dizzying succession, cutting the rest of its legs off and giving her Shield another opening to bring his sword down at the daemon’s head at the same moment Aranea launched into the air, coming down hard on where its neck would have been with her lance. There was a sickening crunch of the daemon’s exoskeleton before it collapsed and went still. Ignis, Prompto, and Pryna picked off the smaller daemons that were itching to join the fight from the edge of the group, taking them down with ease.

Wiping the sweat off her face with the sleeve of her hoodie, Luna grimaced at the grime that showed even on the black material. She eyed the bits of destroyed buildings that blocked their way, mentally calculating the pros and cons of climbing over it when she didn’t see a single opening for them to get through. Prompto was by her side in an instant.

“Luna,” he said, gently tapping her shoulder and gesturing to something behind her. She whirled around to see a metro station, still lit up with dim lights that cast shadows around it. “We can get right to the front of the Citadel going underground,” he explained. Ignis, Gladio, and Aranea were standing by the entrance already, waiting for the two of them. Slowly, they descended into the surprisingly still-well-lit basement, every nerve standing at attention. Luna could feel the darkness pulsing and gathering around them, could feel the daemons’ eyes on them as they waited for Ignis to deal with the panel on the side to lift the gate up. Next to her, Pryna gave a low growl in warning. True enough, as soon as the gate was opened and they stepped into the open area, goblins swarmed them, attacking relentlessly with their sharp claws and fangs, scratching and biting at anything they could get their hands on, their yellow eyes filled with ravenous hunger. The group immediately defended themselves, launching a counterattack in quick succession to take out the massive wave.

“This way!” Ignis called when the daemons thinned, leaving only a few weakened ones. He ran toward the exit, the other five following him up the stairs to the Citadel gates.

“Wait,” Gladio said, suddenly holding out his arm. They stopped, each of them high on alert. “Hear that?”

Prompto cautiously looked around. “Hear…what?” he whispered. Luna’s eyes furrowed, trying to figure out the expression on Gladio’s face. There was nothing around them, no daemon wandering the street, no wind blowing in any direction. It was too still, too quiet, until- there. A low rumble, in such a low frequency she almost missed it- and tackled Prompto out of the way when an enormous behemoth king dropped from its prowl along what she assumed was the top of the Citadel gates. The animal released a loud roar, the large wings on its back unfolding to its full wingspan before closing again, turning its yellow eyes and bared teeth to the group. Aranea rolled her eyes, preparing her lance for the fight.

“It figures we’d run into something like this!” Prompto whisper-yelled as it readied to attack them. The behemoth king raised a single massive paw, its claws sharp enough to slash clean through any of them, as they all rolled out of the way. It only served to anger the monster; its barbed tail thrashed as it tried to land a hit. Aranea immediately took to the air, lance pointed down as she aimed for the beast’s neck. Luna performed rapid warpstrikes, not giving it a chance to counterattack, trying to injure and weaken its legs. Gladio followed after her, slash after slash with his sword as Prompto and Ignis aimed for the eyes of the behemoth with gunshots and fire magic. It scorched the monster, but didn’t take it down- right at that moment, Aranea drove her lance into the weak spot in its neck, effectively paralyzing it, and it fell, unbalanced by the injuries it had sustained in its legs. It could no longer hold itself up; when they all regrouped, breathing heavily, the behemoth king roared weakly, slowly dying in front of them.

“Fancy a behemoth steak?” Ignis asked. Gladio chuckled, and Luna’s lips quirked up in a smile. Dismissing their weapons, the group took a moment to wind down from the fight, taking in a deep breath when frost appeared in the air, their breaths coming out in visible white puffs in the cold, signaling Gentiana’s arrival.

The Astral walked out of the darkness toward them, holding herself with grace and poise. She stopped several feet in front of them, her robes billowing gently behind her.

“Oracle Queen,” she greeted Luna. “And the Glaive.”

Luna nodded, her respect given. “Gentiana. What brings you here?”

Gentiana’s eyes remained closed. “The time is fast coming when you will need to call on us,” she murmured, addressing all of them. “But it is time to face The Usurper. Are you prepared?”

“As we’ll ever be,” Gladio spoke up as he stepped up beside Luna, summoning his sword and swinging it to rest over his shoulders. There was a trace of a smile on the Astral’s dark, painted lips.

“Allow me now to bestow upon you the garments of your fallen warriors- those who are the sword of the King, of the Queen, as you face the darkness. It is the blessing of the Astrals.”

She raised her hand, and when the wind blew through, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto were donned in the formal uniform of what Luna knew to be the Kingsglaive uniform instead of their own clothes. Each man looked at himself in awe, their dropped jaws and surprised gazes meeting the Astral’s in front of them. “Wear them with pride,” Gentiana said gently. “You have all earned the right to stand next to the King of Lucis and of the Oracle Queen. May these garments grant you protection against the darkness.”

Though they had all seen the Kingsglaive wear the uniform hundreds of times, both them and the Crownsguard being comrades and friends, there was a surprising weightlessness that came with the clothes she had given them. Power hummed beneath the surface of the fabric, invigorating them for the fights they knew lay ahead.

Aranea’s outfit was the only one not changed. Instead, she was surprised when she looked up to see Gentiana facing her. “Dragoon of Niflheim, your garments are protective as it is warm. No weapon shall pierce you, and will help you when you fly.”

The fact that she had done something like that for her made the Dragoon look at her clothes in awe, feeling lighter already and ready to fight. Turning to Luna, Gentiana’s smile only widened, the woman’s olive-green eyes opening to meet her blue ones. “Lunafreya Nox Caelum,” she said. “It is for this moment that you have prepared all your life. Are you prepared?”

Luna didn’t hesitate to respond, remembering some of her first and last words to King Regis here in Insomnia so very long ago. “I am prepared to accept whatever may come to pass.”

Raising her hand once again, the wind gently swirled around Luna and ruffled her clothes, only for her hoodie, shirt, shorts, and combat boots to be changed into a black silk blouse and a white pencil skirt, complete with knee-high black boots. It was less formal than traditional Lucian royal raiment, Ignis knew, as he observed the transformation, but it struck the balance between what Luna stood for- the light in the darkness, and the coming together of Lucis and Tenebrae. Her loosened blonde hair, which had been in a messy ponytail before, swept up into a tightened version of her usual crown braid, but ending in a tight bun at the back of her head instead of the usual wavy ponytail.

Puzzled, Luna looked up at the Astral. “Thank you. But-“

“These will not stain or tear,” Gentiana said, gently interrupting her. “They will protect you from the swords and the flames. They are yours for your ascension.”

Luna lowered her head in acknowledgement and thanks, and the dark-haired woman turned to Pryna next to her. “It is time, little one.”

The white dog gave a soft whine, and turned its gaze to Luna, patiently waiting for her. She knew what this meant; had known for years that one day, at the end of the road-

She carefully crouched down and hugged her, willing herself to not cry. Maybe in some other universe, Pryna would have been by her side the whole time. Maybe in some other universe, she would have passed in Altissia, and Pryna would have stayed with Noctis. Maybe in some other universe, Pryna and Umbra would have stayed together. And maybe, just maybe, in some other universe, Pryna would have passed with her if she had passed in Altissia.

Pryna pushed her nose against Luna’s face, giving her a few gentle licks. With a watery smile, Luna leaned back, giving her one last scratch behind her ears before she stood up, and the dog trotted to stand next to Gentiana, both of them looking once more at the group before they disappeared into the darkness.

It felt strangely lonely without the white dog by her side, despite the fact that Luna knew she had been without Pryna for even longer. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she looked at her companions, taking in the renewed vigor each of them had after their encounter and gifts from Gentiana. With one last nod from Gladio, they pushed the gate open and started walking down the long road that led to the traffic circle in front of the Citadel itself.

Elegant streetlights stood on both sides of the road, all lit up invitingly, as if Ardyn had especially prepared this for them as he waited. It would have felt thrilling, regal if she had been walking down this road any other time. All she felt, however, was dread. They kept walking with determination, their heads held high, but there was no denying the buzz of anxiety in the air. Every step they took was closer to the dawn, but also to another goodbye. The cold night air didn’t help with Luna’s already-frozen insides, fear threatening to burst through, but she could not, would not allow it to stop her, not when they were so close. The end was in sight. The world could be saved.

It all came down to these last few hours, she knew. She wondered how they felt, Gladio, Prompto, Ignis, finally coming home to know that it had been taken over by the embodiment of darkness. Were they glad to be home? Did they want to reclaim Insomnia and rebuild it? Would they, after this was all over? Were they nostalgic? Had they been homesick this entire time, only to come back and see it in ruins? Were they relieved that the Citadel itself seemed untouched, safe from the dangers that had plagued it the past year and a half, two years?

In stark contrast to the rest of the ruined city, the Citadel and the road leading up to the traffic circle was in pristine condition, not a single thing out of place. They made it almost to the middle of the traffic circle when the Citadel doors opened with a loud groan, Ardyn Izunia himself sauntering slowly down the stairs to the landing in front of him. On instinct, they all stopped, feeling the coming of the storm.

A smirk grew on his lips as he opened his mouth to address them.

“Ifrit, the Infernian,” he called in a loud voice that made Luna’s stomach twist into knots. She didn’t like where this was going, not if he had confirmed to her that the rogue Astral, the only one that would not heed her call, was at his command. “He doesn’t share the Glacian’s fondness for mankind. But you can expect a…warm welcome. I shall await you…above.”

To their horror, flames immediately erupted from the center of the traffic circle, parting to reveal the enormous Astral sitting on an elaborate throne of bones, his elbow rest on the armrest, his head leaning on his closed fist. His bronze skin reflected the fire surrounding him, his long dark hair swaying in the heat. Long horns protruded from his head, as menacing as his gaze. He looked down at them with fire in his red eyes, mere mortals that were not worth his attention.

“Stay cool,” Gladio murmured to his companions. “He’s gonna bring the heat.”

Summoning her Engine Blade, Luna started running toward the god, approaching the throne when Ifrit lazily raised his left hand, flames shooting out toward her.

“Look out!” she was knocked out of the way by a body, looking up to see Gladio shielding her from the fire.

“Over here!” Ignis yelled, crouched low behind a wall right in front of the Astral. “Quickly, before he strikes again!”

The others sprinted over, barely making it in time and huddling tight with Gladio on the outside. “Here it comes!” Prompto exclaimed, warning them barely a split second before Ifrit let loose another powerful jet of flames. As soon as it was over, they all rolled out of the way, hoping for an opening in the fight. Luna felt the heat all around, but she remembered Gentiana’s words- “ _They will protect you from the swords and the flames. They are yours for your ascension_.” She threw her trust in the Astral, and tightened her grip on her weapon just as Ifrit stood up, a huge sword appearing in his hands, the blade curved at the end to form a hook, the entire thing engulfed in flames. He swung downwards, ripping right through the asphalt as they dodged out of the way.

With each step he took, each swing of his sword, more flames danced out, loose jets attempting to scorch them. Gritting her teeth, Luna saw Ignis shoot out a burst of ice, which quelled the fire a little on the Astral’s torso. She flung her sword right at that moment, knowing she would hit her mark when she warped up to that spot and jammed her sword in, quickly pulling it back out before throwing it away from Ifrit, then repeating it, over and over, warpstrike after warpstrike. Ignis kept up with the blizzard spells, Prompto firing from afar, and Gladio swinging his sword at the god’s burning legs. Aranea performed jump after jump attack, all striking in all different spots without a single weak spot to pinpoint.

Ifrit seemed to be weakening, but with a rogue Astral, Luna couldn’t be sure. True to what Gentiana said, the flames surrounded her as she struck him again and again, but it never burned her. As she readied her next attack, she felt a strong pulse thrum through her body, like someone throwing a rock into a lake, sending ripples and shockwaves outwards until she felt a smirk grow on her lips.

Throwing her sword outwards, she landed on the asphalt in a crouch, her boots absorbing some of the shock. Her companions, noticing her slight retreat, pulled back as well, gathering around her when they saw the glint in her now-amber-tinged blue eyes.

“Check this out,” she said, letting the build-up of magic out completely to answer Bahamut’s call, pulling him forth with her power.

The sky above them seemed to lighten up, just a little, as a giant sword flew down and embedded itself into the ground. Its sharp edges were covered with gold, the flat sides of the blade silver with an intricate blue script overlaying the metal. A large figure circled above them in the sky, creating a high-pitched ringing before it extended its wings, allowing everything in the vicinity to see what it was-

The Astral Bahamut looked different from when Luna first met him in the Crystal. His wings were completely gold, made up of numerous swords, and with regal red sashes trailing from his back. Swooping down to the ground to pick his sword up and then back into the sky, he hung in midair as power gathered around him, his sword-wings disassembling to become a ring of swords of revealing light, circling him at dizzying speeds, awaiting his command. Bahamut clenched his fist toward Ifrit on the ground below, the other Astral letting out a loud snarl of enragement.

Thinking quickly, Aranea pulled Luna’s arm, yelling out a command to the others as they sprinted out of the way to the side of the area, ducking under a shelter to try to avoid the onslaught of swords that were suddenly hurling towards them. Ifrit dodged the swords gracefully, quickly executed summersaults and flips as the Draconian unleashed his fury. He used one of the swords as leverage, flipping around and just managing to get out of the way of another sword coming down from the sky. His timing left him vulnerable to Bahamut’s attack as he sped down to the ground, Ifrit barely managing to lift his sword in time to block Bahamut’s strike.

The Draconian’s steel gaze slid over to where the group was taking refuge, meeting Luna’s sharp eyes. His command ripped through her magic, understanding making her throw her Engine Blade high into the air as she teleported above the two warring Astrals, then flung her sword down to Ifrit, landing the final blow. The sword slashed clean through, cleaving one of his horns off his head.

Dazed and stunned, Ifrit swayed backwards before falling forward on his knees. Flames engulfed him once again as if revitalize him, and he staggered back onto his feet as they looked on in disbelief.

“So even that wasn’t enough?” Gladio growled, readying his weapon. Ignis pushed his glasses up, readying another blizzard spell in his hands.

“It’s turned for the worse.”

Prompto almost laughed in disbelief, firing off another shot at the Astral. “Out of the frying pan, dot dot dot?”

“We need to put this thing out,” Aranea said through gritted teeth. Luna’s brows furrowed as she launched an attack, warpstriking to one of the streetlights on the side of the road, hoping to gain a better vantage point.

THERE!

She threw her blade at Ifrit, bracing herself…that is, until she landed hard on the asphalt, skidding to a stop.

“What?!” Luna nearly yelled, barely managing to dodge out of the way as the Astral teleported to where she was, smashing his fist into the street lamp behind her, completely shattering it. She threw a quick warpstrike outwards to get out of the way.

There wasn’t any straightforward, logical way to defeat an Astral, she knew, but she had to try. From the side, she saw Gladio rush forward with his sword, letting out a loud battle cry as Aranea jumped from street lamp to street lamp, waiting for openings to strike. Every time a hit landed, flames seemed to fall off Ifrit, the Astral taking a moment before the fire ignited again, resuming his path of destruction and one-minded goal to kill them all.

Pulling at her powers, Luna concentrated on the hum of her magic and solely called on the Power of Kings, forcing its power outwards until crystal shards appeared all around her, and in a bright flash of light, she summoned the Armiger Arsenal. Each weapon submitted to her command as she threw them towards Ifrit, slashing and stabbing at him again and again with the powers of the Lucii. Just as the power of the Armiger waned, Ignis threw out a blizzaga spell, the power of ice completely coating the Astral and the surrounding area for a moment before it disappeared. It seemed to slow Ifrit down a little, the fires distinguishing before the flames erupted again, once again coating him like a fiery armor.

They found a rhythm- Ignis would ready a spell and throw it out, and as the Astral was encased in the ice, the others would attack in the opening that it provided. It seemed like a neverending battle, and the humans were quickly tiring, regrouping over and over again every time he teleported and attacked them in rapid slashes with his enormous sword. When Ifrit was finally knocked onto his knees, Luna thought that was the end of it- until he stood back up, flames covering him again, and she let out a growl of frustration.

“Was nice knowing you guys,” Gladio grunted, bringing his broadsword down once again. Annoyed, Aranea increased the intensity of her movements, bringing her lance down again and again on the Astral. Luna felt the Armiger recharge, and let loose her power once again, each weapon flying towards Ifrit in a flurry of attacks. Even with a second Armiger attack, he didn’t fall, continuing his tireless assault.

“Who will fall first: us or them?” Ignis mused, after the fire singed his leg.

“Don’t go dying on me now!” the Shield yelled with a mighty swing. Wiping the sweat from her brows, Luna gritted her teeth. Her friends weren’t giving up, they weren’t giving in. She couldn’t let them down. Again and again they knocked Ifrit down on his knees. With each swing of his sword, flames fanned out, heat scorching their faces and making it hard to see, hard to breathe.

“ _Pyreburner._ ” Shiva whispered softly in Luna’s mind. “ _That heart of flame was turned to ash once…_ ”

Crystal shards gathered in the air, signaling a power waiting to break free.

“ _A dead fire must burn no more._ ”

Luna stopped fighting completely, the group gathering once again around her, sensing the powerful hum in the atmosphere.

“ _Taste again the chill wind of death_.”

Evidently, Ifrit knew what was happening too- his attacks increased in intensity, the flames going farther and burning hotter than ever before, but it was too late. Luna’s bright blue eyes turned completely amber, glowing as she gathered power, her friends’ hands on her shoulders, and released it, looking to the side to see Gentiana walking past her, cold wind starting to blow. She transformed into Shiva, the Glacian, goddess of ice, and called upon her sisters, each with a satisfied smile on their faces. Together, they wove ice and frost around Ifrit, and despite his violent swings, avoided all of his hits as his flames were put out, his body encased in ice and unable to move. They gathered around the group protectively, making sure no ice, no flame, could harm them. Floating into the sky, they swirled around to create a vortex of ice, freezing over the flame.

Shiva left Luna’s side to fly up to the Infernian, giving his lips a gentle kiss- the kiss of death, as the ice that covered him exploded, and he literally shattered into nothingness.

“ _His essence will go to the Beyond, where he will stay- the magic of both the Oracle and the Lucii, and the Astrals’ combined powers, will keep him there until the end of time._ ”

Luna breathed out a sigh of relief, the others following suit.

“That’s over,” Prompto murmured tiredly, dismissing his gun.

“ _O Chosen Queen of the Stone, restore the light to this world_.”

“What did she say?” Ignis asked, able to hear Gentiana’s words, but not understand it. Luna turned to him with a small, tired smile.

“Ifrit’s gone for good,” she answered. “And it’s about time for dawn to return, don’t you think? The world has been dark for long enough.”

They all took a moment to stop and catch their breaths, sitting down against a street light to regroup and gather their frayed senses. Despite the difficult fight, they knew the hardest still lay ahead. Aranea looked toward the Citadel, then to Luna in a silent question. Gladio saw their exchange, standing up to stretch.

“That’s our next stop,” he said, locking his amber eyes with Luna’s now amber-flecked blue ones. Ignis nodded in agreement, the group turning slowly to look at the well-lit stairs that led into the Citadel.

“On we go.”


	25. Et Nocte Perpetua

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It ends now,” she said, with barely a hint of wavering in her voice. She took a page out of Ignis’ book, as if hearing the words spoken out loud steeled her will, locking her joints in the right places for her to walk past the throne to the broken window, where she could see Ardyn waiting for her in the middle of the street below. Luna stopped for a moment, taking in the silence, the last moment…before she let herself fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO, EVERYONE!
> 
> After two and a half, nearly three weeks of this next chapter kicking my butt, I bring you an 8k-word update :) man, I should have thought about this more. These last chapters are really hard to write :( BUTTTTT they will be written! Have no fear!
> 
> Admittedly, I've also been working on other projects as well. In trying to complete this chapter, I rewatched parts of Kingsglaive, and came up with my new oneshot, 'three steps to grief' that centers around Crowe's death. So...really, it was an excuse for me to write angst while being angry at the fact that she was killed off so quickly and so pointlessly. Also because she deserved better, and so that was written in memory of her. I really rather liked the way that that one come out, so if you're interested, please do check it out and let me know what you think :)
> 
> What else what else...
> 
> OH. Bless the people who uploaded pictures on imgur of random architectural details of the Citadel and Insomnia. Not only is is amazing because we never really get to explore the place, but it's just nice to see all the details of such significant places in-game. 
> 
> Imploration is actually a word. I looked it up. YUSSSSS.
> 
> Also, there are quotes that I pulled from EVERYWHERE in this chapter. Most of them were from Kingsglaive, the quote about finding the flow of the fight was from BBC Merlin, and the 'it's been a long time not much longer now' quote was from one of the XV trailers that never made it in-game. SIGH.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The walk up the steps of the Citadel seemed to weigh on their shoulders, as if gravity was pulling them down further and further with each step they took. It increased exponentially as they made their way to the heavy doors, each doing everything they could to not slow down.

“At long last, the Citadel,” Ignis murmured as Gladio pushed the door open for the tired group when they reached the top landing. “The throne is just up ahead.”

The words he didn’t say seemed to ring in the air. No one wanted to be the first to say them, to address the heartbreaking truth that had yet to be given sound. Not yet.

Prompto cleared his throat. “It’s all lit up.”

Inside the Citadel, it was as if nothing had been moved in the past however long it had been purged of Lucians. There was not a speck of dust to be seen anywhere, unlike the chaotic debris that was in the City outside, but that didn’t prevent the empty feeling it carried. Even walking into the lobby, there was a cold hollowness to the place, all of them knowing that it had not been inhabited for a long, long time. Luna swallowed, recounting the events that transpired when she had last been here in this very building-

_“Prince Noctis isn’t here, is he.” Disappointment, even if she knew it was for the greater good._

_“I had hoped to hold the wedding elsewhere, somewhere safe. I sent one of my Glaive to see you there, but- it is not too late. I can ready an escort. Please, go to my son.” Desperation._

_“It is my duty to protect the Prince and see his destiny fulfilled. These twelve years…have not changed that.” Devotion._

_“She was carrying this. It was meant for you.” Grief._

_“Quickly, through here. This leads to a hidden passageway. Follow it. Once you are away, make for Altissia. Noctis awaits you there.” Directions._

_“Is that the way of our King? Sacrifice Lucian sons to save his own?” Accusations._

_“To save the world.” Declaration._

_“Please, Nyx Ulric. Keep her safe, for the future of all.” Imploration._

_“I know your mother would wish the same as me, that you and Noctis live happily. All those years captive because I failed you. Not again. Locked doors will seal your fate no longer.” Determination._

She banished all of these thoughts from her mind; now was not the time to grieve over those whom had once been in this very place, had given their all for her to save the world and complete the work she had been called to do. The hollow cavity in her chest ached, like it did back at Hammerhead, before she was able to talk about Diana and Dawn and their family to the friends who sat around her. It seemed to eat away at everything inside, leaving her shuddering in its wake.

“Guess he’s expecting company,” Gladio said gruffly, not missing Luna’s sudden shivering. Her gaze snapped over to his, sadness evident in her eyes.

“He wants this as bad as we do,” she murmured, the human Ardyn flashing in her mind’s eye, gentle smile begging for peace and rest in death. _It’s been a long time. Not much longer now._

Gladio nodded, looking forward in the marble hallway to the back of the room where the elevators were, and changed the subject. The inevitable would happen, he knew, but there was no use dwelling on it. As her Shield and her friend, he wanted to make things as easy for her as possible.

“Think the elevator’s working?”

Prompto, ever the technophile, inspected it with a keen eye as the party approached. “Huh…sure looks like it.”

“He’s really taking us by the hand,” Aranea noted, shaking her head and tightening her grip on her lance. As if being in the wreckage and ruins of the city wasn’t enough, everything inside the Citadel, knowing what awaited them, made her want to squirm- not that she would ever admit it out loud, but the unease was palpable in the air, tension making all of their nerves stand on end. It wasn’t a familiar feeling for the Dragoon, but Aranea knew what she had signed up for, and readied her weapon, able to strike at a moment’s notice.

Luna bit her lip, her eyes taking in the architecture that she didn’t have the chance to see the first time around. She wasn’t stalling, not really. People were waiting for her, waiting for them, counting on them to bring the morning after the long night, and one of those people included Ardyn Izunia himself, the daemonized, bastardized version of him who was undoubtedly sitting on the throne in the very same building they were in.

He wanted it to end too. Out of everyone, he would have wanted it to end the most, having been stuck inside his own body for thousands of years, watching this daemon fester and take control, imprisoning him in his own mind. She promised him, promised it would end soon. If peace was what he was looking for, even in death, then she would oblige. The only life she would be taking tonight would be his, because he had given it to her voluntarily, because he had asked this of her- to save him, to save the world. She would not fail.

“Well,” Ignis said, pressing the button to call the elevator. “It’ll save our legs the walk up.”

A soft _ding_ announced the elevator’s arrival, the doors sliding open to the square lift. The five of them stepped inside, and with a push of a button, the doors slid shut again and rose slowly upwards.

For a moment, no one said anything, silent as they climbed higher and higher in the Citadel. Luna tried not to think of how she knew this building like the back of her hand though she had never been inside, how she could see the sunlight streaming in through the windows, and hear the laughter of her children as they played, with every adult in the Citadel wrapped around their little fingers. She tried to not imagine the hallways on each floor, focused on not pointing out the specific rooms that house specific memories of her and Noctis, of their family, of the life they had all built together, a life that will never come true, had never been true.

A life that she wanted, more than anything, for them. One full of light and laughter.

_Will they laugh, will there be light when I’m gone?_

Gladio, surprisingly, was the one who broke the silence. “The throne room…” he started, clearing his throat. “Waits outside.”

“Yeah.” Aranea nodded. “And so does Ardyn.”

“Acting like he owns the place,” Prompto said, a hint of a scoff in his tone.

Ignis uncrossed his arms. “It’s time to take it all back.” There was a small flash of light by his right hand, and then one of his daggers appeared, his fingers gently brushing against the hilt.

Luna allowed a small smile onto her pale lips with a nod. She didn't think she could handle words right now, not at this moment.

Another silence lapsed in between the group, interrupted by the _ding_ and the opening of doors that led to another hallway, Luna, Aranea, and Prompto falling behind and letting Ignis and Gladio take the lead down the winding corridors down to the throne room. If Gladio was being honest at that moment, it felt like leading a lamb to slaughter, his heart aching with guilt and helplessness, even in the face of his Queen’s determination. As if as Shield, he had failed her- she would never see it that way, he knew, but that didn’t make his guilt any less. All of his training, all of his talks with his father, never covered what to do or how to feel when it was practically a _requirement_ for his charge to die in order to save the world.

Maybe it would have been helpful to have a guidebook. _How to Properly Be an Errant King’s (or Queen’s) Shield, by Gladiolus Amicitia_.

Gladio’s humor died down when the group reached the end of the hallway that led to a large, open chamber two stories tall with the oh-so-familiar roman columns that were pressed against the walls of the room, the enormous mural on the opposite wall, the grand windows that offered a spectacular view of the once-magnificent city. He could see the doorway to the throne room, his dread rising by the second. Suddenly, he felt the need to stall while he thought of some way, any way, to save Luna. Noctis wanted her to live. _They_ wanted her to live. He didn’t want her to be another Stella, getting just a taste of freedom and life before it was cruelly ripped away from her because of _fate_. How he hated that word.

“Remember how nervous we were in front of King Regis the day we left?” he asked, almost out of desperation to start a conversation. They could talk about that. They could talk about that day, and Luna would ask questions, and they would be happy to tell stories of happier times. The part of him that remained dedicated to his work, to their cause, and to his Queen’s goal chided him for such a childish notion that he could somehow salvage the situation as Shield, if he just had more time. No, as Shield, he had been trained to get things done, no matter the cost, trained to guard his charge until the end.

“That was the last time we were in here,” Ignis said, the group stopping in the middle of the room to look around.

“Yeah,” Prompto replied almost fondly. “They even let me in that day.”

Aranea, having never been there before, absorbed her surroundings. And Luna let the boys have their moment, this last moment before everything would change, reminiscing of their time together, content in just listening to the memories they were dredging up from what felt like years and years ago. She thought back to the one time she had been in that very place, her heart thumping in excitement in seeing King Regis for the first time in twelve years. The room was full of neutral tones and smooth marble, sleek and modern, meticulously clean and still lit up from the sconces that climbed up the tall Corinthian columns. The high ceiling gave the room a regal, grandiose feeling, one that was not lost on them, even years after the Citadel had been abandoned. How much more did they feel, having come home after so long, after so many things had happened? They deserved this time, and more. They _needed_ this time, right before all of them fell over the edge of the precipice.

The mural on the opposite wall was one that had piqued Luna’s interest the last time she was in there, but never had a chance to really look carefully at it in all its glory. She knew it was a- _the_ \- prophetic image- the one that was in the Cosmogeny, one she had long since deciphered and admired as a young girl, the one that foretold the coming of the True King, bringing the dawn. The irony was not lost on her; she once again felt the prick of tears behind her eyes, and mentally steeled herself, refusing to let anything fall.

“Feels like forever ago,” Ignis murmured when they stood there another moment, counting the fragile minutes they had left. For another minute, no one dared to move a muscle until Luna caught Gladio’s eye, the slight tilt of his head. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and took a careful look toward Ignis. Ever the advisor, understanding and patient, he bowed his head. “Well, shall we, Luna?”

She forced her legs to move, hearing her companions fall in behind her, and walked up to the door she knew led to the throne room. Just as her hand reached up to push the door open, she hesitated, pausing for a moment before Prompto spoke again, her shot nerves nearly causing her to jump in surprise.

“Luna, wait.”

Everyone turned to him as he reached into his jacket, pulling out two things out of his jacket, things that were flimsy and flat and colorful- pictures. Wordlessly, she took them from him, turning so that she could see what they were. The images made tears spring into her eyes once again, and once again, she swallowed hard to push them down before she could thank him.

The first was a picture of him, Ignis, Gladio, and Noctis, the four of them posing in front of the Regalia at Hammerhead. They looked so young, so innocent and so happy. Luna’s fingers gently traced their faces, her eyes taking in the changes that time and the war had made to them, wishing to put the same exact smiles on their lips when all of this was over. The second picture was one of the three of them and Luna, taking a picture together just before they left Altissia to the Royal Tomb in Cartanica. That day, though Luna was very obviously exhausted by the heavy bags under her eyes, the exhaustion of her magic and healing, her smile did not diminish. Ignis, having found a new comradery with her then, looked more relaxed than he had in weeks. Gladio was in the center, laughing about something while Prompto stood next to him, joining in his laughter. It was completely candid; the person who had taken the picture had taken a few of them before they were ready. Prompto never told anyone, but that picture was one of few that he looked to when he needed to remind himself of the light in his darker days, fighting and waiting for hope.

“Think about all the places we’ve been. All the shops along the way,” Ignis said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Gladio gave a small, fond smile at the memories. “Always something new around every corner.”

“Ignis sure cooked up a culinary cornucopia at camp,” Prompto said, pitching in. Unexpectedly, Aranea smiled too as they took that brief moment to revel in their best memories. Somehow, that put Luna more at peace, the knowledge that yes- things would be okay after she was gone. After all of this was over, the four of them would find a way to rebuild the world. They would have each other, an unlikely group of allies and friends, with so many stories to tell when the time came, like it had for her that one sleepless night at camp underneath the stars, next to a crackling fire with Prompto and Gladio.

“Thank you,” she finally murmured, tucking the pictures into her pocket where they fit snuggly. She felt the warmth coming from them, a tangible reminder of her friends’ love and support, and turned to face the throne room door.

It was time.

There was no hesitation this time as she pushed the door open to the vast chamber she had been in when she first arrived in Insomnia to see King Regis, what felt eons ago though it had only been a little over a year. This time, there was no bright sunlight streaming in from the enormous windows, no guards or Glaives or advisors standing in the room, no King Regis to greet her after twelve long years in the clutches of Niflheim. That day came rushing back to her, every little detail that was _wrong wrong wrong_ , and she couldn’t help but wonder that if she felt that way, having only been in Insomnia once, how did Gladio and Ignis feel, walking back into this room like they had so many times before?

She glanced at her Shield from the corner of her eye, taking in his tormented expression, so many thoughts and feelings that he conveyed with only his eyes, flashing too quickly for her to pin down. If she had returned to Tenebrae, if it was as torn up, as desolate and dark and abandoned and defiled as Insomnia was, how would she have felt? Dragging her eyes forward, she saw that the left wall had caved in, opened into the night sky. Rocks and rubble tumbled down the steps on the left side onto the landings, creating but one way up to the throne.

The Crystal, no longer shining bright, but a dim light in the darkness, was chained above the throne in a sacrilegious gesture of power. Right below it, Ardyn sat the throne, a smirk evident on his face. And above him…

“What…is that?” Prompto breathed out, horror marring his tone.

Chains hung suspended from the ceiling, Ignis idly making a note that the fixtures of the Citadel would have made that physically impossible, but it wasn’t the chains themselves that were the true terror. No, it was what was wrapped in the chains that made them all stop, staring at the horrifying sight in front of them with their hearts pounding in their chests.

Noctis, Regis, Stella, Ravus, Nyx, and Queen Sylva of Tenebrae- their corpses, the group could see- hung from the chains, their limbs and torsos wrapped in multiple strands. Their clothes were dirtied and torn, covered in dirt and grime and old blood. Each exposed body part showed pale white skin, the pallid color of death, and their expressions twisted in one of tormented agony. Their eyes were open, dripping with black tears- stained Starscourge, tainting even their corpses, as if they had not suffered enough.

A low snarl attracted Luna’s attention before she realized she was the one making the sound, seeing her mother, brother, fiancé, friend, and might-have-been sister humiliated like this in death. She could see the others clenching their fists, knuckles white with the struggle to not immediately lash out at Ardyn, at a force that they knew could overpower them at any moment if they made one wrong move at the wrong time. Aranea went so far as to step forward in front of Luna, a throaty growl sounding in her throat. Reigning in her fury, Luna strode confidently forward, stopping just in front of the stairs, knowing her friends would follow. Ardyn sent her a satisfied smirk, his amber eyes barely-concealing his anger and anticipation.

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck.”

He leisurely leaned back, propping himself on the red velvet, casually putting his arms on both the armrests in an almost-territorial gesture. “The throne brings you here?” Ardyn let out a low, menacing chuckle. “It seats only one.”

Luna’s ice-cold eyes met his, conveying exactly the message she wanted them to- she wanted him to know that she was a formidable opponent, and that the throne was _hers,_ and if it was the last thing she did- which it would be, she thought to herself- she would claim it.

“One who isn't you, Ardyn Izunia," she said, her voice steady. "The Kings of Lucis have deemed _me_ worthy to take the throne.”

Ardyn rose from the throne, and then lifted his leg and planted his foot down hard on the seat, a sign of aggression. His tone was charismatically soft when he spoke again.

“Oh, Lunafreya…how long I have waited for this.” Looking up at her, he lifted his hand, and then balled it into a fist, as if crushing her in the palm of his hand. “Though you’re not of the line of Lucis, your death will mean the end of both the line of Oracle and those of the fools whom dared to call themselves kings. I had hoped,” he paused dramatically, standing straighter. “To claim the powers which rightfully belong to me, to watch your face as death claims you as her own when you are _painlessly_ drained of it. I hoped that through the peace and sanctity of marriage, you would see it from my perspective, and we could avoid all this bloodshed. But,” he continued, tone laced with humor, but with pure malice just underneath the surface. “It seems, my dear, that you will never see things…my way. No. Tonight, the dreams of the blood royal…come to an end.”

“Spite’s all that’s kept him going,” Gladio murmured next to her. Prompto shook his head, still shaken by the bodies hanging from the ceiling.

“Talk about a grudge.”

Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ardyn sits the throne,” he almost sighed, as if saying it out loud made it easier for him to accept that fact. Knowing it was one thing, facing the reality of it was another.

Luna felt the cool metal of the Ring of the Lucii on her finger, its weight a comforting assurance. “Not for long,” she said calmly, her chin lifted in defiance and her eyes burning blue fire. “This is _my_ ascension.”

Something changed in Ardyn’s face, a savage sort of smile appearing on his lips. He thrust his right hand out toward them, flicking his wrist and causing dark magic to spew forth. Before anyone could react, hit them all…except Luna. Her companions sank to the floor, choking on it as the darkness gathered around their throats, their gurgled cries ringing in Luna’s ears and causing her to see red. In the very next minute, they were all completely still.

“ _What did you do?!_ ” she snarled, whirling around to face the throne, but Ardyn was gone. Instead, he stood on the debris next to the broken wall, his arms spread wide.

“They have no place in this, the battle of Kings, the rite of Ascension,” he replied. “Come, Oracle Queen. Lunafreya Nox Caelum, it is time. My revenge shall be complete, two millennia of dreams come true.”

With that, he turned, and she heard the sound of a warpstrike leading away from the window where he was. She didn’t pay him any attention- as soon as he was gone, she ran back and collapsed next to Aranea, who was closest to her, immediately putting her hand against her cheek.

“Blessed stars…” Luna began to say, a warm glow emitting from where their skin touched, but her magic felt nothing wrong with her. It wasn’t until she looked closer did she see the shallow rise and fall of her chest, noting the same on the others when she looked around, her magic dwindling until the light faded. Slowly, she let out a breath she wasn’t aware she had been holding, now conscious of the rate her heart was beating and of the fear that gripped her lungs, knowing that her friends were safe. Unconscious…and maybe that was for the best…but safe.

She exhaled through her nose as she counted to ten, standing back up slowly and remained rooted in her spot for another minute, giving herself the chance to calm down. Reaching up, she touched the moon pendant on her necklace that had appeared back on her neck when Gentiana approached them in front of the Citadel gates, drawing strength from the small jewel. She knew that now, more than ever, she had to remain calm- anger, recklessness, a single moment’s slip-up could cost her- cost Eos- _everything_. Everything that everyone had worked so hard for, had sacrificed so much for, would be in vain, and there was no way she could allow that to happen.

Gathering her resolve, she walked away from her friends, up the stairs and to the landing where she had stood before King Regis so long ago, continuing past that up the stairs on the right side to approach the throne, the one that Noctis had entrusted to her.

_Not just yet._

As soon as she reached the top step, there was a dull light, and Luna looked up to see the chains and the grotesque, twisted corpses flare up, in purple-white flame, disappearing completely. Another small part of her relaxed, coming to the realization (and nearly smacking herself for not being able to sense it earlier) that it was all an illusion, meant to deter her, meant to scare her, to anger her.

Luna was finished playing games; it was the time for reckoning. The world had been steeped in darkness for far too long.

“It ends now,” she said, with barely a hint of wavering in her voice. She took a page out of Ignis’ book, as if hearing the words spoken out loud steeled her will, locking her joints in the right places for her to walk past the throne to the broken window, where she could see Ardyn waiting for her in the middle of the street below. Luna stopped for a moment, taking in the silence, the last moment…before she let herself fall, summoning her Engine Blade and flinging it so that she would land right in front of him. Her aim was true; gravity brought her down to earth faster than ever before, and she landed in a crouch, her boots absorbing the shock from the contact, and her right hand landing on the ground to steady herself. She straightened, standing tall to face her enemy. Ardyn’s human face flashed in front of her eyes for just a moment, giving her that last push that she needed.

“The once helpless and hapless Princess,” Ardyn drawled, his back to her. “Is she now ready to claim the Crown?” He turned back to her in a dramatic flair, bringing his hand up, and in a flash of light much like hers, summoned a sword that so resembled one of her Royal Arms she was almost taken aback, but had no time to think when he said, “Don’t let us down” with a dangerous glint in his eyes and warp-lunged at her, her instincts saving her just in time as she brought her sword up, blocking his strike so that sparks went flying where steel grinded against steel. The impact was so great that they both flew backwards into the air, Ardyn hitting the window of the building behind him as Luna smashed painfully into the one behind her, the glass shattering.

He recovered almost immediately, and she followed, throwing her sword back to her original spot as they both stared each other down across the median. Ardyn had a confident smirk on his face, his ever-pleasant smile playing on his lips. “Let the games…begin.”

“No,” Luna responded in a biting tone, annoyance coloring her face. “Now they end!”

She threw her blade towards him, her magic pulling her body into nothingness before reappearing in a warpstrike, but he simply blocked it and knocked her back with a broadsword that he summoned, holding it with both hands. Stunned, she looked back up to see him phasing _impossibly_ fast towards her, his sword raised to deliver a hard blow. Luna instantly sidestepped, phasing out of the way before lunging again in an attempt to hit him, but she didn’t get far at all with Ardyn’s broadsword doubling as his shield and weapon. Instead, he just kept phasing between slashes, his movements far faster than she ever expected, causing her blue eyes to widen in slight panic. How was she to keep up with him when he wasn’t even fazed by a sword that size? How much faster would he be with an actual blade? Hadn’t Gladio and Ignis taught her to be prepared for any enemy, any situation?

“So you’re the Chosen Queen…but you are a third choice, at best. Even before dear Noct passed, he would have been a second-rate King.”

“Don’t you _dare_ talk about Noctis!” Luna snapped, furious, her mind pulling up the image of the illusion of his mutilated corpse hanging from the chains in the throne room. Red-hot fury boiled inside of her, and she threw another warpstrike at him, only to be blocked again as his broadsword came down, Luna managing to summon hers just in time to block his hit. Her right shoulder screamed in pain, feeling Ardyn bear down on his sword with a crazed look in his eyes and that ever-pleasant, bone-chilling smile on his face. Grunting, she threw his sword off and tried warpstriking again after seamlessly switching back to the Engine Blade, but he was prepared for her regardless of the element of surprise Luna thought she had at such a close range, practically point-blank. No, his broadsword caught her attack and slid her sword off before it came down, slashing into her shoulder.

Luna bit her mouth to prevent the yelp of pain that threatened to come out and jumped backwards, putting distance between the two of them. She tasted the tang of blood as she contemplated her next move. She was too slow- it was the wrong move, she realized only half a second later as flames exploded around her.

Ardyn let out a powerful firaga spell, and, while she was distracted by the fire and light, raised a weapon at her. It was pure luck that Luna looked up right at the moment a crossbow bolt shot at her, managing to phase out of the way just in time. She gritted her teeth, warping out of the flames a little ways away from Ardyn, watching him smirk and walk slowly towards her, sword in hand, as if he was a predator dangerously stalking his prey. “Over here,” he sang in a low, ominous voice that made her shiver. Letting out a frustrated growl, she threw her sword at him again, warpstriking to where he was standing and trying to land a hit on him, but he was too fast. Every time she struck, Ardyn merely phased out of the way and slashed at her with the broadsword, landing a hit more often than not. Luna stopped keeping track of wounds she sustained, instead concentrating on finding the flow of the fight.

That had been something Ravus taught her long, long ago, and something she had been working on with Gladio before they left Lucian territory for Accordo on their way back to Altissia.

_“Find the flow of the fight and control it. All it takes to kill a man is a well-aimed blow.”_

Sweat was dripping down her face, her back, as she tried to hit him again and again, and succeeded a few times, evident by the blood seeping through his clothes. Ardyn’s strikes were blindingly fast, following his blocks and phases with attacks that cut deep into her, her magic barely having time to heal her before he was at it again. Every time she tried to warpstrike, he was ready for her and always managed to hit her before she could recover and strike again.  She found herself without space, without room to maneuver, without time to think about her actions. Her instincts carried her through, phasing back and forth non-stop as she tried to parry and block and attack with the weapons she had at her disposal. Ardyn wasn’t giving her a single opening.

“Where is your head?” he taunted, seeing the sweat roll from her brow down to the cut she had on her cheek. Luna ignored the stinging, recovering just in time to see him launch an exceedingly powerful firaga-thundaga spell at her. She wasn’t fast enough- the spell hit the pavement next to her, and she was thrown off her feet to the side of the road. Before she could blink, Ardyn had phased next to her, his broadsword raised above her as if it was an execution- she blindly threw her sword, rolling out of the way just as his came down.

“Do you like what I’ve done with the world?” He asked her, sneering as he dismissed his broadsword. “I twisted it all just for you.”

Luna thought she might be sick. Without waiting for her answer, Ardyn suddenly summoned a lighter sword and threw it up to the light post behind her, leaving a magenta trail of magic as he let out warpstrikes at a dizzying speed between the light posts all around her. His speed and the flashing light of magic almost unground her; he threw his sword down and came at her in a warpstrike, trying to catch her off-guard. She phased out right as his hit landed, the sword barely nicking her skin, but leaving her unsteady and shaking on the inside. He was fatally fast, she knew, and she was quickly feeling the dread crawl up from her stomach to her throat, seizing it in panic. If she was even just a second slower, she was done. The world was over, that was it. Ardyn’s unmistakable skill with a sword far outmatched her own.

Her frustration and stubbornness pushed the dread back down, and Luna latched onto them like a lifeline. She let it burn, burn through her fears until it hit rock-solid purpose, a steel will to fulfill her duty, and with minimal effort, summoned the Armiger Arsenal. At the sight of the phantom crystal shards bursting forth from her, the multitude of weapons floating around her in a protective circle, Ardyn let out a crazed, maniac laugh, his amber eyes wide with a frenzied delight. He threw his sword in a warpstrike back up to the light posts, and Luna followed suit, the magic of the Lucii boosting her speed and stamina, pulling at her magic as she let fly weapon after weapon, feeling it cut into Ardyn and leave wound after wound. She didn’t give him any openings, but he didn’t slow down either warpstriking in between the light posts.

“Is that really the best you can do?” he called as the Star of the Rogue was hurled into him. “An Oracle Queen in name alone, I’m truly disappointed, Lady Lunafreya. Can’t you do any better than that? All those people, all those deaths, that year in the Crystal all to prepare you for this, and _nothing_ to show for it!”

An almost feral rage overtook Luna, her magic welling to a shattering point. She let the wave of power crest and fall all on its own, a multitude of crystal shards appearing in the air as it fell and crashed as if it was the aftermath of water droplets splashing upwards, the Armiger disappearing to make way for a summon- Leviathan was calling. The powerful Hydraean roared when it appeared, pulling forth a powerful tsunami that knocked Ardyn down and plunged him into deep waters as the Astral stood guard before Luna. When the waters receded, Luna shoved away the shock of the sight of him clearly weakened, but still standing, withstanding the might of the Astral.

“Even were the dawn to break now…it would only bring the horrors to light!” He said with a maniac glee, his eyes unfocused, his hand drawing back to let loose a spell. Luna immediately threw her sword at him, warping to where he was and landing a hit on him in his somewhat-dazed state after Leviathan’s appearance. Ardyn staggered backwards, the spell interrupted, before his hard amber eyes focused on her once again, as though he was able to pierce her through gaze alone.

He didn’t stop in his taunts; instead, there was venom in his voice. “The legend proved to be a myth!” Ardyn spat, re-energized. In the blink of an eye, he warped in front of Luna, and before she had time to phase from his sudden assault, he had her pinned on the hard concrete, his stubbled face inches from her own, his red-violet hair creating a curtain around her face. Luna struggled to get out of his hold, but to no avail when he leaned down to look her right in the eyes. “My revenge is soon at hand. How long have I waited?”

Luna fought to keep from recoiling in disgust. “Don’t worry,” she hissed into his face. “It’ll be over soon.”

There it was again, Ardyn’s patronizing smile on his face. Without warning, he stepped back, phasing a good distance away from Luna as she scrambled to her feet. “Well, let’s have it then,” he replied. “You and your Crystal…against all I have become.”

Her whole body was aching, blood flowing from where her magic hadn’t managed to heal, and she was covered in sweat and grime, but she felt the stirrings of the Power of Kings, calling for release, the Ring on her finger glowing brighter and brighter. “You would have been disappointed,” Luna managed to say, panting. She felt the corner of her mouth tilt in a small smirk. “I would know.”

Power gathered, stronger than ever before. Luna didn’t even spare a conscious thought as it burst from her body, a bright light bringing forth the Armiger again. Each weapon in the Arsenal had a mind of its own, and now, they called for blood, for justice. The Ring of the Lucii shone brightly, and she was lifted off the ground, floating in the air with the weapons circling around her, ready to fight. Ardyn couldn’t look more satisfied, when, to her shock, in a bright burst of magenta light, he summoned his own Armiger. “Ahh, a Queen! At last!”

He was lifted into the air, and Luna felt anger and rage, not her own, but of the Kings of the Lucii whom had all waited for this very moment. She held onto the emotions with a steel grip, and struck first- the phantom weapons shot forth, trying to land hits on Ardyn. His own weapons created a barrier around him, and with each weapon he deployed, she met with one of her own, causing a small explosion whenever they collided against one another. Luna barely noticed it when they were both lifted higher and higher into the air, their attacks and defenses all in fluid movements. They came at each other relentlessly, each Armiger looking to tear the other apart. Ardyn’s Armiger weapons penetrated through her defenses throughout the fight, each hit from each phantom weapon burning like raw fire.

Luna let out a dry cry of pain when one slashed her thigh, leaving a deep gash in its wake. Before she could do anything about it, another flurry of attacks came, and she threw her concentration into her defenses, retaliating at the exact moment she felt him retract his magic. Back and forth, they traded blows in a rapid fashion as they flew all around Insomnia, no longer caring where their fight took them as long as they could hit their enemy. Explosions were all around, wherever weapon hit weapon, but they had no time to stop and think. She felt herself sinking lower and lower, her magic and reserves growing shallower and weaker the longer the fight held on. Her muscles were screaming, her head was pounding, and there were spots in her vision; she needed to end it, she needed to do something _fast_.

Looking at Ardyn, she could see him tiring as well, his haggard appearance not escaping her notice. There were patches of red on his outfit where her weapons managed to hit their mark, bleeding through the white and blacks. There was another long slash on his chin where blood was still dripping out from.

She gritted her teeth. There would only be one chance, and she had to bide her time, made sure she could keep her energy up until she could deliver the finishing blow.

 _Please_ , she thought desperately, praying to the Lucii, praying to the Astrals, to anyone who could hear her. _Please. Give me strength._

And there it was, that slight opening that she needed. Ardyn may have mocked her, taunted her, hurt her friends, hurt her, and created illusions to mess with her head, but he had also underestimated her powers ( _or_ , she had to wonder, _was there a part of this daemon that craved peace in death, not just Ardyn himself?_ ) and the bond that was between her and the Lucii, and Lunafreya Nox Caelum would be sure to show him his devastating mistake. Feeling a sudden boost in power, she let herself go, letting the enormous burst of magic loose as the Arsenal circled around her before flying towards her enemy, creating a bright blue explosion that almost lit up the sky, zeroing in on Ardyn Izunia.

As soon as the Armiger’s final attack was finished, Luna felt all the energy drain from her body. Her magic, spent and weakened, couldn’t sustain her in the air, and she fell, crashing painfully onto the asphalt below. She groaned in pain, struggling to lift her head, only to see that Ardyn had landed a little way in front of her, and they were right back to where they began- the traffic circle in front of the Citadel. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Luna might have snorted at the poetic justice.

To her satisfaction, his clothes were now torn and frayed, sweat and exhaustion marring his features. He was struggling to get up as much as she was; Luna summoned her trident, using it as a crutch to pull herself up and stand up straighter. Both of them were hunched over in pain, swaying slightly on the spot. There was a scar on Ardyn’s nose, the dried blood caking his face. To her equal annoyance, his self-satisfied smirk was still on his lips.

“A war…of attrition then,” he bit out his voice sounding strained. It wasn’t over.

Slowly, the huge ghostly figures of the Kings of Lucis and the Queens of Tenebrae appeared around the traffic circle, their outlines looking like blue fire rippling upwards towards the night sky. Their gazes were fixated on the two warring beings below, deciding the fate of the world. Ardyn chuckled lowly, looking around before settling his eyes on Lunafreya.

“The Kings of Yore are on hand, calling you forth…to oblivion.”

He stumbled toward her before summoning his sword, coming at her in a cross between a phase and a warpstrike, as if he didn’t have the power to complete a full warp. Luna grunted in pain as she phased out of the way, barely managing to dodge his tired strikes.

“Yet when your mother died…you ran away with Regis. When your brother died, you had abandoned him to his fate.”

With every word, Luna clenched the handle of her trident tighter, her rage fueling her attacks when she landed her hits and powering her phases to dodge his. In a moment of fury, Ardyn slashed down at her, managing to cut a long gash on her arm, knocking her to the floor. She rolled out of the way in time when he brought his sword down, immediately phasing the next second to avoid his next hit.

“When your beloved died, he died because you were weak!”

Ardyn’s snarl held all the contempt he had for her as he attacked ruthlessly, despite his tired state. He chained his strikes together and forced her on the defensive before her anger took over, her trident slashing through the front of his shirt down and across his chest, red blood starting to seep through. He fell onto the ground, rolling away and warpstriking behind her, trying to claim the upper hand.

“You think you have suffered?!” He demanded, his sword coming down heavily on her own. Luna shifted her stance, yelling as she slid his weapon off and lunging toward him. “ _I_ have lived in darkness for ages!”

Luna’s attack landed, but Ardyn didn’t stop; he turned the attack back to her, and there they were, two royals phasing in and out, their figures heavy and hunched over with fatigue, each trying to be the last one standing. When she deflected his downward slash, Luna threw his sword off her trident, and then something yanked her arm, stopping her from attacking him. Paying heed to the call, she felt the Engine Blade humming, asking for power, begging to be the beginning of the end.

She didn’t give Ardyn the chance to recover. Immediately dismissing her trident and summoning the blade, Luna reached deep into herself and poured in her Oracle’s Power, the sword now alive with both the powers vested in it as a weapon of the Lucii and with the added magic of the line of Fleuret. It seemed to wield itself as her arm thrust it forward, the sword slashing upwards across Ardyn’s chest, darkness spewing forth from his wounds instead of blood. She barely registered the look of shock on his face; the Royal Arms were calling, yelling, crying to be released. Instead of containing the power, Luna let it take over, each weapon summoning itself as she pushed the last reserves of her magic into them, each wanting a taste of blood. With each slash, each strike, more darkness flowed from Ardyn’s body, him getting weaker and weaker. When at last all the Arms had their dues, her trident was summoned once more, and with the last dredges of her power and a final battle cry, she drove the points deep into his chest, where the black mist seemed to come forth like blood. He looked down at the weapon protruding from him, his crazed, humored gaze finding hers.

“So, that is how you would end it,” he murmured, staggering backwards when Luna pulled the weapon back and automatically dismissing it. She forced herself to stand as tall as she could despite her extreme fatigue, watching him take a few more steps back before he fell onto his back. Greedily, Luna took in several breaths of air, trying to calm her body from its role as a channel for so much power and magic that had exploded out of her. Dimly, she acknowledged the spirits fading, as if satisfied that The Usurper, The Abomination, was taking his final breaths. 

Without her noticing, it had started to rain sometime during their battle, the pavement now shining with the reflections of the street lamps that dotted the area. She staggered weakly to Ardyn, who lay looking up at the sky with unfocused eyes.

“Now it is over, Majesty. What will you do? Banish the daemons and bring peace? Erase me from history once more?”

The question would have sounded mocking if Luna didn’t know better. Instead, sinking to her knees, she felt only pity for the daemon that, because of his nature, had only known emptiness, rage, and revenge. His face began to flicker, between his normal appearance and an older version of himself, wrinkly skin and sharp cheekbones.

“Long have you lived, in so much pain and agony,” she told him quietly. “Now, you can rest, Ardyn Izunia.”

He was struggling to breathe now, his bloodied chest barely rising and falling. “I will await you…in the Beyond.”

Luna stayed by his side as his body began to glow, ashes floating towards the sky. For that instant before he disintegrated completely, he opened his amber eyes once more, his face completely morphing into that one of the real Ardyn Izunia- the human, the healer, whose name had once been Ardyn Lucis Caelum. He weakly raised one bony, wrinkled hand toward her, and she took it without question. A gentle smile bloomed on his face, the same one she saw when they met in the Crystal.

“Thank you, dear Luna,” Ardyn whispered. His eyes rolled back, and the rest of his body turned to ashes that floated into the darkness.

She couldn’t tell the difference between her tears and the rainwater dripping down her face. Luna stood up, wiping the wetness away with the back of her hand. The hardest part was over; now, she only had to sit back- literally- and wait. Maybe that was Ardyn’s final goal, she mused. Dying- it meant that the daemon could have its revenge in destroying the Lucian bloodline. Born from rage and war, like Gladio said in the throne room, spite was all that had kept this daemon growing, festering until it grew out of control. And it meant that the real Ardyn, the human, could find peace in death. His body was tired, his mind even more so. In the end, had she destroyed him, or had she saved him?

Noctis’ words from so long ago came back to her- “ _You can’t help everyone, Luna, no matter how powerful you are. But I know that won’t stop you from trying_.”

And yet, somehow, in the face of trying, it still felt like a loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 26 sneak peek:
> 
> The crown it weighs heavy, 'til it's banging on my eyelids  
> Retreating in cover and closing the curtains, one thing's for certain  
> A year like this passes so strangely somewhere between sorrow and bliss  
> Oh, who decides from where up high  
> I couldn't say, "I need more time"  
> Oh grant that I can stay the night  
> Or one more day inside this life  
> -  
> Too much, too much, too much...never enough


	26. Too Much is Never Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crown it weighs heavy, 'til it's banging on my eyelids  
> Retreating in cover and closing the curtains; one thing's for certain, oh  
> A year like this passes so strangely somewhere between sorry and bliss
> 
> Oh, who decides from where up high, I couldn’t say, “I need more time”  
> Oh, grant that I can stay the night, or one more day inside this life
> 
> Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much  
> Never enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welllllll, this chapter wasn't quite as long as I was hoping to be. It won't end up breaking 100k =[ DARNIT! But that's okay. Gotta decide in the end what's best for the story without adding so much filler and fluff. I have the Caelus Aeternus series for that ;)
> 
> For those of you who didn't catch it, I actually went back a day after posting the last chapter to revise Luna's dialogue. While writing, I wanted it to be canonically accurate, but after some feedback and more thought, I decided that Luna's lines should have been more intentional and practical rather than just accurate according to Noctis'. Please go check it out, I actually like it a lot more than what I had first posted.
> 
> This is the final "big chapter" for Nox Caelum! The story is quickly coming to a close, with two more chapters after this. Thank you all SO much for sticking with me for so long on this absolutely crazy adventure. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this story, but it's been such an amazing journey with you all.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

The soft sound of the rain hitting hot asphalt, of dripping into puddles, could have been sledgehammers knocking against church bells. Her heartbeat was thunder, her breaths were hurricanes ripping their way through her body when Luna looked at her friends stumbling down the steps of the Citadel. With a great sigh, she made her way toward them, doing her best to not limp despite her exhaustion, and met them right where the landing met the first step.

“Is it over?” Ignis immediately asked, holding his head as Gladio’s trained eyes swept over Luna’s tired form, ever the vigilant bodyguard, taking stock of her injuries. She offered him a worn smile in assurance.

“Ardyn is gone,” she affirmed, looking back at where his body was just moments ago.

There was silence then, each listening to the rainfall as they processed the information and refused to say the words that needed to be said. Each one could see the heartbreak in the others’ eyes, never sure if the shine was from the reflection of the lights, or if they were tears waiting to be shed, or were already falling; the rain took all of their pain and made it its own as it slipped down their faces. It was no surprise that Luna was the first to move; her amber-tinged blue eyes gentle as she looked at her friends, a soft smile on her face acting as a peace offering when she walked past them and up a few steps before turning back around to face them.

There was a huge lump in her throat as she took in the sight of her friends, her family, worn and tired, her spirits lifting in the thought that in just a little while, just a little more, she would be able to give them the peace that they so sought after, the one they deserved at the end of it all. Their road together was quickly coming to an end, the reality of it finally sinking in in this final moment, the last few minutes they would have together.

“So this is farewell,” Ignis said, his voice gruff with emotion.

The smile Luna had on her face didn’t diminish in the slightest, even as he spoke. Instead, she slowly looked over them, one after another, as if carefully memorizing each detail about them.

“Prompto. Gladio. Ignis. Aranea.”

Their names came out of her mouth like a gentle touch, letting them know without words how much they were appreciated, how much they were loved. She let the rain wash away her fears and her burdens, pushing aside her knowledge of what lay just ahead of her for a few precious moments. The coolness of the water soothed her burning skin, gently holding her heart in its quiet currents.

“I can never say thank you enough,” Luna started. “Journeying with all of you, learning all the things you have taught me- it was a life that I could never have asked for.”

She clasped her hands together, holding them up to her chin and bowing her head, closing her eyes as if in prayer, before she looked back at them. “I am…happy, here, now,” she said, dropping her hands in front of her, resting where her blouse and skirt met at her stomach. “To have and to have had you all by my side. Though not one step had been easy, you all stood by me even when you had nothing but Noctis’ wishes to go on, nothing but faith to look to in the distance. You have all given too much, and you have all lost too much. It is my prayer that after I am gone, you will still have one another, that as this world is being rebuilt, you would also build each other up as well.”

At this, Luna could see Prompto trying his best to hide his tears in the rain, but the way that he was biting down hard on his lip and the way he began to sniffle, and definitely not from the cold, gave him away. A warm fondness rose in her chest, blanketing the heartbreak she would have otherwise felt in full at his reaction. Prompto was undeniably the closest to her out of the group; if it wasn’t for his bright personality and outlook from the very beginning, his constant support, she would never have made it this far. The weight that he felt, they all felt, she knew, but Luna willingly took it all, carried it all with a gracefulness that would have made her mother proud.

Aranea had the least attachments out of all of them, but the woman wasn’t without grief either. Luna could see the way her shoulders were slumped even as she lifted her chin high, knowing that it was Ravus who first had been her motivation to help, knowing that this strong-headed woman saw things through even in the heart of the enemy at the expense of both her life and her men’s. Tenebrae would be in safe hands, she knew, if Aranea were to remain there. And if after this, she wanted to return to Niflheim to rebuild the Empire? Aranea Highwind would not allow a repeat of history, that much Luna knew, of the powerful, stubborn woman who stood before her. This woman who hadn’t even known her for very long, but still stood by her and fought with her, protected her, and was there for her.

She wondered and wondered, if Stella had more time, if she had more time with her, would she have turned out that way too?

Ignis, the ever-wise, ever-faithful advisor and friend Noctis had. True, he had been callous in the beginning, but grief worked in funny ways, Luna thought. That they could both put aside their differences in mourning and then in fighting for the man they both cared for and loved his whole life was one of the things that kept her going, kept them going, throughout the entire journey. With Ignis watching over them, they would have few problems. He would make sure everything ran smoothly afterwards. And, Luna prayed with all her heart, that when the light broke over the horizon, he would be able to see it just as beautifully as the others would, even with his hindered sight.

Luna turned her gaze to the last person in their group, her staunchest protector. With Gladio as their support, they would not fall, and they would not fail. Gladio bore the burdens of everyone else, picking them up when they fell, knocking them down when they needed to be. He was their shield and sentinel, as he had proven so many times over since they first started their journey together the first time they departed from Altissia. It was thanks to him that she held her own in battle, and that she had made so much progress in the little time she had under his guidance.

She cleared her throat. “After I…am gone, dawn will break. The Astrals will be no more. The time to worship and pray to them will have passed. There will be no more need for them, no place for them in the new dawn; the lines of both Caelum and Fleuret will have ended, the purposes given to them by the gods fulfilled. It will be your world.”

Luna couldn’t help the smile that slipped onto her lips then. “Make it a good one.”

Was it any surprise that Gladio was the first to respond? He was the one who always charged into battle because it was his duty, facing the worst of circumstances head-on because no matter what it was, his loyalty to the Crown came first. He was their first line of defense and first line of attack, and now, Luna knew with a crumbling heart, he would be the first to say goodbye. Her Shield shifted his stance to attention and brought his left hand up to his chest, bowing to her in the ultimate show of respect. Ignis, Prompto, and Aranea followed immediately after, all of them straightening and looking at her after a short moment, giving her time to push down the lump in her throat, the choked-up feeling of her friends’ reassurance of their faith in her until the end. In one simple motion, they let her know just how far they had come together, of what she had meant to them throughout the course of their journey, and now, at the end of the road.

She brought her right hand up, the hand that bore the Ring of the Lucii, and placed it over her heart, giving them one last smile. There was a twinkle in her eyes, one that looked so much like Noctis’.

“We leave it to you.”

Behind them, daemons rose from the earth, Iron Giants hauling themselves up with one enormous hand as their other grasped their cleavers, ready to render anyone asunder. Now that Ardyn Izunia was dead, there was no one to control the rampage of the daemons. It was time, Luna knew, and forced herself to turn around, trusting in her friends as they did their duty- to give her time as she ascended, the first and last Oracle Queen of Lucis.

 _You are Queen,_ a voice full of wisdom that sounded almost like Ignis said gently in her head. _One cannot lead by standing still. A queen pushes onwards always, accepting the consequences and never looking back._

Luna didn’t want to hear the sounds of battle that carried through the empty air of Insomnia, the city itself dead and devoid of light for too long. Would they rebuild this place and restore Insomnia to its former glory, as the crown jewel of Lucis? Would they knock down the Wall, inviting any and all in to build new lives together? Or would they leave it untouched as a testament to history? Would it be nothing but her tomb- and countless others- for ages to come?

It was as if the gods had heard her ( _final_ ) wishes- as soon as the Citadel doors closed behind her, there was nothing but a still silence. Stopping in her walk, Luna took in the quiet, the stillness, despite the war still raging outside. She heard every breath, could feel every thunderous beat of her heart, blood pulsing in her ears, and she couldn’t help but start counting down the number of heartbeats she had left.

_The crown it weighs heavy_   
_‘Til it’s banging on my eyelids_   
_Retreating in cover and closing the curtains_   
_One thing’s for certain, oh_   
_A year like this passes so strangely somewhere between sorrow and bliss_

_Oh, who decides from where up high_   
_I couldn’t say, “I need more time”_   
_Oh, grant that I can stay the night_   
_Or one more day inside this life_

_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never, never, never enough_

 A thousand and one thoughts flitted through her mind, slipping through her fingers and shattering to pieces as she steeled herself to continue walking, retracing their steps just a mere hour? Two hours? Three? Before.

If it was Noctis in her place here, now, would he be ready to ascend the throne? Would he have been ready, knowing that he had been raised- that she had known, his father had known- and groomed, not to become King one day, but to die? Would the Crystal have taken him too, like it did her? He knew now, yes, but if he had been the one to survive Altissia, if he had been the one to kill Ardyn Izunia, charged with this task that he had been born for- he wouldn’t have known the truth until so much later. Would he have carried it with betrayal? Or would he be like her, knowing it was for the greater good and pushing aside all else for it?

Her anger flared for a moment as she reflected on the year that it had taken from her, the year she had no recollection of. Why? Why? She still couldn’t answer. Had it been an act of grace or an act of cruelty? Bahamut never said. He never told her. No one told her. No one told Noctis, either. No one told them of the weight they would have to bear one day, two children trying to make their way in a warring world. Would they have said no, chosen another fate if they _had_ the choice?

The sound of her boots clicking loudly against the marble floors became louder and louder, calming her in the middle of her anxiety, giving her an anchor as her thoughts and emotions swirled around her like a hurricane. This time, walking through the building, Luna allowed her thoughts to wander through half-forgotten, false memories, remembering times when the sunlight would shine through the windows, her daughters’ laughter in the air. She allowed her body to remember the way it felt when Noctis took her hand or kissed her ever so shyly that first time on that one night after everyone had fallen asleep and he had taken her stargazing via warpstrikes on the Citadel roof. She allowed the memory of her sister’s voice wash over her, the exact shade of her brother’s eyes to come back to life in her mind. She closed her eyes, and for one second, just one, she could see the laughing faces of her family at dinner, together, without the weight of Eos on their shoulders.

_Oh you wondrous creature_   
_Coming up who we are_   
_‘Cause I’m retreating in covers and closing the curtains_   
_One thing’s for certain, oh_   
_A year like this passes so strangely somewhere between sorrow and bliss_

_Oh, who decides from where up high_   
_I couldn’t say, “I need more time”_   
_Oh, grant that I can stay the night_   
_Or one more day inside this life_

_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never, never, never enough_

The silence around her slowly became stifling, terrifying, even, as she took the elevator back up to the throne room, her memories, thoughts, and emotions boiling over. Luna clenched her hands; she would not stop now. Her footsteps were no longer hesitant when she stepped out of the elevator and into the grand lobby that lay just outside the throne room. Luna looked up at the enormous mural on the wall, this time not in awe, but almost in defiance, almost as a challenge.

“Almost there,” she said out loud, her voice ringing in the cavernous, empty room. Just another few minutes, and it would be morning. Just another few minutes, and the people, the gods, can rest.

She stopped right before she opened the throne room door, patting her leg where her skirt had a pocket to make sure that the pictures Prompto had given her hours earlier were still there, safe and secure. Raising her hands, Luna pushed open both the heavy doors, letting them fall close behind her with a loud _bang_ reverberating through the empty Citadel.

It was just as she left it before the fight with Ardyn- broken and empty, the Crystal chained above the throne, the throne itself lying in wait.

There was a strange sort of stillness in the air, disrupted by the clicking of her heels as Luna forced her feet to move, one after the other toward the throne. Anticipation thrummed in the undercurrent of the silence; waiting, always waiting, for what was the come next. It pushed her onward, the Queen making her way across the room to the steps with her head held high and shoulders back, climbing one after the other, not stopping, even at the middle landing, until she was right next to the throne. Luna brought her hand up to run her fingers gently against the cold marble, the gold inlay still untainted and intact.

“I’m here,” she murmured, unable to bring herself to sit on the throne yet. It was wrong, all wrong. King Regis should have been sitting there. Noctis should have been in line for the throne. Her mother and brother shouldn’t have died. Stella should have had more time. Nyx should have been here, guarding the King. The Glaive that he couldn’t bring himself to talk about- the one who had been sent to escort her from Tenebrae- she should have been here with Nyx. “It took longer than I had hoped…and yet…not quite long enough. Noctis…thank you. For giving me the chance to live. For the companions that you kept. I’m here now.”

Taking a deep breath, Luna stepped onto the dais, and lowered herself onto the rich red velvet. Power was stirring now, faster and stronger. She banished the small voice inside of her that began to count her breaths, counting down until she breathed her last. Instead, her mind wandered, thinking of all those who had gone before, all who had given up and sacrificed everything for the war. They had all given all they could, given too much, but it could never, would never be enough. Her magic stirred as her emotions heightened, and if Luna could have looked into a mirror, she would have seen that her blue eyes were completely amber then, responding to the last call of the Oracle’s Powers and the Power of Kings.

Crystal shards began to form as Luna closed her eyes, pushing aside her memories, her thoughts, her mourning to make way for power that was rising and cresting all on her whim, her magic beckoning forth her end.

“Oracles of Tenebrae,” Luna quietly began, feeling the power shift and gather. “Kings of Lucis.”

Both light and power reached their peak at the same time, causing her eyes to snap open, and she gave them her first and final command as she summoned the Engine Blade and rammed it down into the ground, the sword striking clean through the marble.

“Come to me!”

_Who cares about the thing I did that night_   
_Who cares if I’m coming back alive_   
_So what, at least I have the strength to fight_

Phantom weapons struck the ground in a circle around the throne, all facing her as the ghostly figures of the Kings of Lucis rose to claim their arms, all in their elaborate armor, ready to finish their work once and for all, their deaths coming to fruition, and not in vain. The Oracles of Tenebrae appeared next to them, each dressed in flowing robes of ghostly blue flame, and Luna was more than shocked to see her mother, the regal Queen Sylva of Tenebrae, amongst them. It was too much to just _see_ her, after so many years. She couldn’t help the small whimper that sounded at the back of her throat, the pinprick of tears in the back of her eyes. Luna missed her mother _so much_. She didn’t have the chance to grow up as Noctis did, as other children did; she had been beaten and tossed to the floor like a rag doll after the Empire killed her mother so many times over the twelve years she spent in captivity. Having this last chance to see her again, to finally finish what had been started so long ago…

Luna stilled her tears, her fears, her heart. In that moment, in the eye of the storm, peace settled on her like a gentle wave. The Kings and Oracles hovered there, waiting, ready. She tightened her grip, both hands on the hilt of her sword, and gave a small nod.

“I’m ready.”

The Oracles stepped forward in front of the Lucii, and after a heartbeat, rushed at her, one by one, joining their powers with hers. As soon as their phantom forms came in contact with her body, they disappeared, melding into one inside her. Luna fought back a scream as the weight of their power _burned_ her, burned through her, each Oracle’s magic more powerful than the last. She had her sword in a death grip, her knuckles white from clenching it so hard, trying to ground herself in the midst of the pain, the fire that was eating her alive. There was a slight pause before the final Oracle rose to bless Luna with her power- there was no need for her to look to know that it was her own mother, waiting, giving her a chance to pull herself together. Luna breathed in deeply through her short pants of pain, letting out a small sob before she allowed herself to look up, and Sylva struck, her daughter gaining the full powers of the line of Fleuret.

Luna’s grip on the Engine Blade completely slackened, causing her to nearly black out as she slumped to the side of the throne, but she knew it wasn’t over. Not yet. Not yet.

Weakly, she propped herself upright, once again using her sword as an anchor.

There was more work to be done.

“Kings…of Lucis,” she panted, gritting her teeth and steeling herself. Her sharp tone left no room for doubt or fear or pain. “Come to me!” Luna repeated her command.

 Nothing could have prepared her for or spared her the pain. As soon as she gave the order, the first of the Kings took up his weapon and struck her, running her through with his ghostly sword, his phantasmal body disappearing like the Oracles’ had. The bonding of souls was cemented as the Ring of the Lucii glowed brightly on Luna’s finger, its light containing the soul of the King who had joined with her. It was like the sharp pain she felt every time they found a Royal Arm on their journey, but now it was as if it was a _real_ sword, a real weapon, as if she really had been stabbed, run through, a thousand times more painful than she could remember. Her world spun on its axis, her mind trying to work its way through the pain.

There was no mercy. They were at the end of the road; the Kings were eager to finish their work, to rest. Each King took up his weapon and _ripped_ completely through her. Luna’s throat was raw with screaming, her vision completely blurred as flickering flame of their figures meshed together as one light in the darkness of the throne room. It consumed her, completely overpowered her after the Oracles had given her their power. It was too much all at once, all the power, all the magic that they forced into the single vessel that was her body.

As each King took their turn, their weapons joining with her powers as one, Luna’s breath was expelled from her lungs when she heard King Regis’ gentle voice inside her head.

 _Dearest Luna,_ he began just as another King, another Royal Arm ran her through. Luna tightened her grip on the Engine Blade, but it did no good- she was barely hanging on, barely conscious through the onslaught. _You have done well, you and Noctis._

Another King. Another weapon. When will it end?

_Wayward, though my son may indeed be…he has made me proud. And so have you._

Weakly, Luna pulled herself up with the hilt of the sword, her hand shakily wiping away the tears that were in her eyes, only to recognize the form of King Regis in full armor, resembling his kingly raiment, holding his sword out at her. He, like her mother, paused for just a moment before he too thrust forward, his sword and form dissipating into nothing as the light of the Ring took his soul in.

_May you two know happiness._

There was no way to stop her sobs now; they wracked her entire body, Luna’s grief and pain overflowing as one in her last moments. She couldn’t even reach for the Engine Blade to steady herself- that had been taken from her too, just like everything else had been mercilessly torn away. Her trembling hands found their way to the arm rests on both sides of the throne, slowly pushing her body upright.

One more. One more. It was almost over.

She almost didn’t want to look, not wanting to see the one King of Lucis that hovered in front of her at that moment, but she knew it was time. Luna fought to pull in one breath after another, gathering her last scraps of courage and control to look up and acknowledge the final soul she would bond with, through the light of the Ring of the Lucii, and to finally, finally bring the dawn back to Eos.

It was strange- Luna expected it to be sadder, somehow. She thought that she wouldn’t be able to recognize him, to see past his armor, past the rippling blue flame of his outline. No, Noctis Lucis Caelum was every bit the King that he had ascended to be when he gave up his life to save hers, and she could see him, _really_ see him.

His armor was fashioned following the tradition of the Lucii, heavy spikes, big plates, and a long, black cape that rippled behind him. His shoulder pads were spiked upwards, his arm guards and shin guards resembling swords. His gauntlet, the ones that were lifting up the Engine Blade, were coated in spikes along each knuckle. The Lucian crest was on proud display on his breastplate, the swords of Bahamut flanking the crest. His helm, like his predecessors, covered his face; there was no way to look into those big blue eyes of his, the ones she had fallen in love with so long ago, had clung onto the memory of the past twelve, thirteen years now in her darkest moments. A strip of metal was laid in a V-shape over where his helm opened to darkness, right above his eyes, as if it was crowning him as the Chosen King. Four horns protruded from the top to the back of his helm, resembling a true traditional Lucian crown, with interlocking spirals of metal curling and bending in between each horn, weaving them all together.

Luna figured that if the gods could take away their bloodline, their lives, could take away so much- if the world was so cruel, then she could be selfish this once and take those few, meager seconds for her last moments. They had all given up so much, and now, she was going to make the final sacrifice, the last one any of them would ever have to make in this damn war.

What could she say, in her last minute? What would her last words be, when the last time they saw each other, they both knew there was no need for words?

Four words came to mind, four that he had once given to Umbra to tell her, four words that had gotten her through the long, long days of being on her own after the fall of Insomnia, words that she had held on to for so long. With one, final smile, Luna fought against her tears, against the lump and the rawness in her throat to say her final words.

“We’ll be together soon.”

_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never enough_   
_Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much_   
_Never, never, never enough_

_One other year, a hundred flags flying in a field_   
_One day, felt it let go of me_   
_One other year, a hundred flags flying in a field_   
_One day, felt it let go of me_   
_A hundred flags flying in a field_   
_One day, felt it let go of me_   
_One other year, a hundred flags flying in a field_   
_One day, felt it let go of me_

It happened almost in slow motion, and yet, too quickly for her to comprehend. Noctis lifted the Engine Blade, and with one swift move, the physical blade impaled her all the way to the back of the throne where it stayed even after he let go of it, cutting through muscle and tissue and nerves and veins and arteries, slicing open her lungs, and then the sword met her with enough force to completely sever her spine.

Luna felt it all, and her mouth opened in a slight ‘o’, a soundless scream escaping from her lips. Her amber eyes were wide open in pain, feeling the hot blood trickle from the wound down to her stomach, pooling on her thighs and staining her white skirt red. She felt her lungs struggle to take in air, her heart working desperately to find enough blood to pump through her, and then she slumped forward, her body no longer able to support itself to remain upright. At that point, she could even feel the part of her backbone where it had been broken off from the rest, until the shock of the impact wore off to give way to blinding pain, and yet, she was still unable to scream, unable to even whimper.

Whoever said death was bliss was probably right, because the moments before were pure torture. It wasn’t an instantaneous death, it was excruciating; it couldn’t come fast enough for Luna as she sat there, literally pinned against the throne like a butterfly on a pin board. Her upper body was hunched over her- Noctis’- sword, and she felt herself suffocating, drifting.

Waiting to die.

Luna didn’t have the strength to lift her head, and she couldn’t even if she wanted to- there were no longer physical bones there to support it. She could only watch on, giving herself to the agony, watching her own life blood trickle down her legs to the black marble dais below. Her eyes blurred, vision drifting in and out when a pair of boots- a spirit, she knew somewhere in her mind that wasn’t at war with her body shutting down- appeared in her line of vision.

A pair of black, open-toed boots outlined with gold, its owner sporting black nail polish on their toes. From her vantage point, Luna could just make out a long gold zipper that ran to the edge of her vision, running all the way up to where she already knew the boot ended mid-thigh.

She wanted to say her name, but lacked the strength, the control over the torment, to even move or acknowledge their presence.

No, Gentiana spoke first, a final mercy of the Astrals.

“You have done well, Lunafreya Nox Caelum, Oracle of Tenebrae, Queen of Lucis,” she whispered in that accented lilt that Luna loved so much, had always found comfort in. “Our time is over. Come, rest. There is more to be done. It is time to take our leave.”

Maybe it was poetic justice to have had Gentiana by her side all her life, and even now, at the moment of her death.

Lunafreya breathed in once, and then never again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "AHHHH!!! CLAIRE, HOW COULD YOU????" --> I know, I know. Sorry.
> 
> Although...I did have a lot of fun designing Noctis' armor though. Here are the links to some of the sketches I came up with :) and in case you didn't catch the symbolism, the four horns on Noctis' helm that were acting as crowns (like Regis' crown) signified the chocobros. There's a bit of angst trivia for you that my dark and macabre mind came up with. Heh.  
> http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/dragonsflame11/20170918_163904_zpsqteaj7p9.jpg  
> http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/dragonsflame11/15057680058051491879438_zpsfwqmhq3u.jpg  
> http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/dragonsflame11/20170918_163919_zps9tyxknqs.jpg  
> http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/dragonsflame11/20170918_163933_zps5uglbbkw.jpg


	27. Ascension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunafreya was dead. Lunafreya had been dreaming.
> 
> Did people dream after they’ve died?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH!!!! WE'RE FINALLY HERE!!!!!1111!!!!11!!!!!!
> 
> This, I would consider, is the penultimate chapter- because, BECAUSE what's left is the epilogue.
> 
> Also, I lied. There's two more chapters after this because I decided to split the epilogue into two parts. Trust me, it'll work better that way, and you'll see why I say it's better to do it that way instead of just having one chapter for it.
> 
> I pulled the words and descriptions from a lot of places this chapter. There are references from Kingdom Hearts and other games as well, see if you can spot them ;) 
> 
> Thank you guys so much for sticking with me through this crazy ride. Thank you for all the reading, the patience while waiting for updates, the angst and tears and kudos and comments. You guys have been absolutely amazing. I hope you guys like this, and I'll see you in the epilogues :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV

It looked like tears, like ruined makeup crawling from the empty eyes of the statues down to their cheeks. A bad record scratch, a glitch- the picture focused again. There was rain this time, gently falling from the dark sky.

Noctis stood on the top landing in front of the Citadel, looking down at the magitek soldiers in the courtyard below with cold red eyes, unforgiving, uncaring. The soldiers raised their guns, all of them firing at once at the Prince- King- _what?_ , but not a single bullet hit him as an explosion of crystal shards surrounded him, the Armiger arsenal appearing in a protective circle around him.

Immediately, the scene changed- Noctis was in the Regalia, staring pensively out the window at the full moon.

There was a sudden jerk, and then it was back to the battle at the Citadel entrance, those soldiers not standing a chance against the might of the Lucii. Crystals glittered in the air as Noctis _flew_ through the battlefield, weaving and warping and stabbing and slashing, completely decimating the entire squadron. He charged at one and flung his sword at another, immediately warping to the other magitek soldier as soon as the first fell to continue his assault. The second one fell and he jumped onto the shoulders of the next one, twisting his body and snapping its neck with a single swift motion. He landed back onto the red carpet then, satisfied with his work as he made his way slowly, regally back up the steps of the Citadel, disappearing and reappearing every few steps farther and farther up.

There’s a woman now, standing in the streets of Insomnia underneath a full moon and obviously waiting for something, someone to come. There was a quiet sense of dread, so muted it was barely there. Was it…was it her? Was it Stella? Did it matter? Who is “her”? Did _that_ matter?

Another pull, and the Citadel appeared again, Noctis still walking and teleporting to the Citadel proper slowly, his back turned to the remainder of the squad of soldiers that raised grenade launchers at him-

A sickening jerk, a flash of fear amidst the muted emotions broke through, a single moment of terror as the grenades found their target…only to hit the spinning crystal Armiger that had protected the King when the smoke finally cleared, Noctis’ head barely turned to glance at them from the corner of his eye before walking inside.

The sky wasn’t dark anymore; it was daytime, the broken, barren, and dry landscape of Leide flying past the Regalia with its top down. Utility poles along the side of the road were toppled and broken, the wires that were slung across each of them tangled up in their own coils with no way out.

These transitions were not kind. They made no sense, had no pattern, no logic to them. They simply _were_ , and so they simply would be.

Prompto, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis overlooked a burning Insomnia in the gray-day-sky, the Regalia parked right behind them.

It all melted away, vision blurring, twisting and slurring and then clearing to reveal an enormous and elaborate fish tank, resembling the one that had been on the rooftop of the Caelum Via. Windows on the other side showcased the sparkling skyline of Insomnia at night, the beautiful Crown City and the glittering lights a backdrop for a huge painting. Two figures, one in a black suit and another in a white dress, stood with their backs to the tank and stared at the painting- of Etro, the sleeping goddess.

The waters surged and rippled and pooled into the stillness and beauty that was Altissia in all her glory, the grand city and its waterfalls echoing on for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles…

Vast emptiness.

The wilderness with only the Regalia and Noctis leaning against it, gazing upon a full moon.

No, the night was not beautiful, the moon didn’t show; instead, the room was illuminated only by the fleeting flashes of lightning, and a blonde young girl clad in a simple white dress with a ruffled skirt was thrown carelessly onto the floor, slammed into the ground. Fear was evident in her bright blue eyes as she crawled backwards on her hands and feet, trying to get away from the shadow that was looming over her, heat and fire that was starting to burn all around her in the freezing cold-

Young Noctis and an aged King Regis; the Prince at ease, asleep in his father’s arms as father and son stood in the courtyard in front of the Citadel next to the Regalia, grief and sorrow and a heaviness that the young Prince had not yet known overflowing from the King, tears coming unabashedly down his cheeks. He pressed a kiss against his young son’s head, holding him close while he still could.

The back of a man in a black suit, walking in the darkened remains of Insomnia. Three others flanked him, the crest of the Kingsglaive proudly displayed on their backs as they made their way toward the Citadel, all lit up. Shadows loomed next to them in the alleyways and the debris of the once-grand City, the Crown Jewel of Lucis, ready to take them as prey and drag them deeper into the darkness; they were all around, taunting and waiting to strike…

It came; surrounded by flames and enormous daemons that resembled Cerberus, smoke and fire and ash and desperation making it hard to see, hard to think, hard to breathe.

_“Noctis!”_

A woman’s voice. A desperate cry. It sounded so familiar, a distant memory, a far-off dream.

A hexagonal barrier, shattered almost immediately. An unforgiving sword, shadows and darkness and magic, _so much magic_ and then the hard ground, crawling backwards yet again, just like the blonde child in the stormy night.

Bright light, nothing like the hellish scene that had been before. Gardens and trees that were blooming and bursting with life, sunlight coming through the glass windows and roof. Girlish shrieks rang in the air, laughter- two little girls, one with dark hair and the other with blonde, holding hands, their bright blue eyes looking up with childish innocence, and oh, it _hurt_ to look at them-

And maybe it was a mercy then, to be dragged back into hell, sulfur burning and the shadow walking closer and closer, bright yellow eyes in the darkness, and then there was _Noctis_ , the thing _was_ Noctis, with a trident in hand, and then he _struck-_

Inky blackness took over, faded to a dark gray as white lights surrounding a throne broke through, a single figure- Noctis- with his legs crossed and his head resting on his right fist, elbow propped onto the armrest, the very essence of a King laid out in sleep-

A glitch, a record scratch, off-colors that were white, black, grayscale, red, and then it was a blonde woman on the throne instead, in the exact same position; a woman wearing a black silk blouse, white pencil skirt, and knee-high black boots. Her eyes were closed, and she was still, still in sleep, still in death-

 _Oh,_ death.

Sleep or death? Which was it? Did it matter?

Blue eyes opened.

Cold.

It was cold.

Swirling darkness all around.

A bright vortex was on the ground, the only source of light, its maw opening wide in wait.

Blue eyes were unfocused, glazed over with dreams and visions and then they fell down to see calloused hands, a black silk blouse and a white pencil skirt and knee-high black boots, and oh, _oh._

That what it was.

Blue eyes saw herself.

Blue eyes remembered herself.

Lunafreya was dead. Lunafreya had been dreaming.

Did people dream after they’ve died?

_Is this what it’s like to die?_

She didn’t know how long she floated there, gazing at the swirling vortex beneath, remembering, remembering every word, every action, every step, every breath, and every bit of pain that had brought her there to the brink of existence, to the Beyond where she would end the daemon menace that was Ardyn Izunia for good. Astral energy pulsed all around her, like that fateful day in Altissia, like when she had been summoned into the Crystal. It was even more prominent here, where it thrummed and throbbed like a heartbeat going too fast. The vortex in front of her was sucking and funneling in a massive amount of power, as if it was draining Eos itself.

That’s right. The Astrals, the magic, all of it- gone. It will be, as soon as it’s over. This was the way out, the grand exit, not so grand, and given, taken at a great cost. Whispers seemed to float up from the vortex, calling for the power that lay inside of her, and she gasped, once, twice, feeling her weightless body _burn_. She felt the pulsing, the anticipation, of the one final thing she had to do.

_Lunafreya Nox Caelum._

The Ring of the Lucii seemed to tremble with the light that it was giving off, not even waiting for her call to summon her Trident into her hand.

Heeding the call, Luna released her Trident down into the vortex and followed.

* * *

Ethereal lights surrounded Ardyn, crystal shards sparkling all around- like the Crystal in the Beyond, their final battleground. As Luna slowly descended to be level with Ardyn, he tipped his hat toward her in mocking respect, sweeping into a low bow immediately afterwards. There were no words exchanged- there wasn’t a need for them. Instead, as he looked back up at her with his eyes full of contempt, she felt power surge through her once again, cutting straight through and bolstering the burning she felt in her body, feeling rather than seeing the light in the darkness. All who had fought and stood by her side, all who had died and gone before, all who had sacrificed all to pave the way here, Luna knew, they were all there with her in this last moment. She felt Noctis’ light next to her, the hope and the love of her friends she carried surrounding her.

Ardyn shook his head violently at the light, hate coloring his face when he turned his gaze back at her and fully became Ardyn Izunia, the daemon, now that his physical body had passed. Darkness and Starscourge trailed dark veins down his cheeks, from his eyes, turning them an eerie yellow color. There it was, the true face of the daemon she had come to end once and for all. She raised her right hand at him, ready, and he mirrored her- but neither were prepared for what happened next. Lunafreya had found very quickly that death was cold, but the light that was in her, the light she carried _burned_ like a white-hot flame. She was filled with heat and fire, and then in a burst of magic, at a single, wordless command, she _was_ fire.

Luna began to glow as the spirits of the Oracles of old were beckoned, their power spilling forth from the Ring of the Lucii as they took shape. Every spirit converged into one, and then, like a fireball, rushed at Ardyn Izunia before he could even move. The daemon let out a soundless scream when the Oracle’s Light hit its target, the golden glow enveloping him as it trailed from his fingertips to the rest of his body, concentrating in his chest and purifying him from the inside out. He hunched over in pain, staring up at her with eyes of fury and of hate.

It was time, finally. The Kings of the Lucii were calling for blood, and Lunafreya Nox Caelum did not disappoint.

She raised the Ring of the Lucii again, and light _exploded_ from the Ring, singeing and burning off the sleeve of her blouse from the elbow down as the Kings of Lucis were called. The fire burned her, through her, and she saw dark veins that resembled embers trailing up her arm to her hand, felt her blue eyes tinged with amber, and it wasn’t enough, it _still_ wasn’t enough, but she pushed and pushed and _pushed_ , and the embers and the burning and the ashes trailed up her arm and spread all over, up the veins in her neck, covering her cheeks, and _then it was over_.

The fire rushed out of her, the vessel that had brought the light into the Beyond, and each of the armored Kings of light tore their way out of her body through her back. Being dead and without a physical body, Luna found, did not mitigate the pain in the slightest- she couldn’t even scream at the way the spirits were ripped from their vessel, but it was over just as it began. Each King gathered behind her, brandishing their weapons, standing at the ready and waiting for her word. It was an overwhelming display of power, every weapon humming in anticipation for the very next moment. The spirits of King Regis and Noctis flanked both sides of her, their swords at her command. She raised her Trident in her hand, and with the very last of her magic, sent it hurling toward Ardyn, hitting him square in the chest where the Oracle’s Light gathered, and the Kings followed.

Each King took their turn in rushing at Ardyn, ripping him apart as they hit the light over and over again, the daemon unable to react but open his yellowed eyes wide in shock and pain. Regis and Noctis were the last to leave her side, but with one final attack from the Engine Blade, Ardyn Izunia didn’t even have the time to register his end before his body shattered into a million pieces of light.

Now, now it was over. The time of magic and Astrals and daemons have finally passed.

Dawn would break in Eos once again.

Amidst the shattered shards came a small, transparent spirit- Ardyn Lucis Caelum, the healer, with his wrinkled face, his hunched form, and kind smile. He lifted two boney fingers to his temple and gave Luna a salute, and then he faded.

It was the silence in a mission accomplished, the feeling of saying ‘ _it is done_ ’ that held Luna there for another moment, her body broken and burning, her veins made of charcoal and her blood the embers of a dying fire. The colors of the Beyond shifted, as if waving goodbye, and it was then that Lunafreya, burning and freezing and oh so tired, let herself fall as she became light and ashes and crystal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the confusion in the beginning, but I wanted to pay tribute to the whole franchise (coughVersusXIIIcough hinthintcoughcoughcough) :) heehee. If you didn't catch on, the entire first part was a nod to all of the Versus XIII, Dawn, and Omen trailers ;)


	28. Carpe Noctem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I’m learning that the biggest word in the whole wide world is the word ‘alive.’ There is so much out there to do, endless possibilities. We’ve done the impossible. You’ve done the impossible. And that’s the way this world will be too, making the impossible possible."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said this fic wasn't going to break 100k?
> 
> HA.
> 
> This epilogue made it to 8k. This fic is going to break 100k. YUSSSSSS!
> 
> I am so sorry for the long wait! The amount of hits and kudos that's been pouring in since the last official chapter has been ASTOUNDING, thank you all SO much. It's so encouraging to see, and definitely spurred me into finishing this as quickly as I could!
> 
> Reminder that there will be one more short epilogue after this one :) Credits to Dawn and @LariaGwyn for putting up with my random calls at night to ask for their opinion on something, to Google translate for helping me with my abysmal French, and MEMES oh my gosh the memes for some of this stuff.
> 
> Credits also to the KH team who wrote Chain of Memories. There is literally only one good thing (except for Namine, she's wonderful) that came out of that game.
> 
> You all have been so amazing, thank you so much for your support!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV. And I definitely don't own that bit I borrowed from Chain of Memories.

**June 15, 757 M.E. – Thursday, 11:44AM**

So, uh. Hey, Journal. How’ve you been?

…Sorry. Never done this before outside of school. Noct and I were pretty terrible at these assignments when we had them. Wish I paid more attention so maybe I would know what I’m doing now. Not that I would have traded those times goofing off with him in class for anything, those were the best times of my life. Funny how you miss things more when they’re gone.

But it’s not really funny. It’s really hard.

This is the second day the sun has risen. Which means, Luna died two days ago. Iris, she couldn’t stop crying for a long while when we got back. The rest of us- me, Gladio, Ignis, Aranea- we went back to Hammerhead, and _man_ let me tell you it how good it felt to sleep after all that fighting. But when I woke up, it was dark again, and for a moment, I thought it was all just a dream. Luna hadn’t come back. It was still night forever.

Couldn’t go back to sleep after that. I wasn’t the only one though- Cid couldn’t either. Neither could Takka. Or Cindy. Gladio and Ignis and Iris and Cor came along sometime later, and we all just sat in a circle with hot chocolate, and talked all night. We watched the third sunrise together, right there in front of the garage. Here-

_[There is a picture here that shows the early morning rays peeking from over the horizon.]_

_[There is a picture here that shows the sun half-risen.]_

I wanted to make some sort of album or a scrapbook or something so I could put the pictures we took through our journeys together. Maybe even compile them together in one giant project with all the pictures I took growing up. But since I started this, I guess I can make this into some sort of picture journal. Do people do that?

Iggy was the one who suggested I start writing in the first place. He says it’s supposed to help organize my thoughts and understand my feelings or something. I’m pretty sure he keeps another journal now, along with his recipe book.

I dunno. My feelings are pretty clear cut. I miss you, Noct. You’ve been my best bud all my life. And I miss you, Luna. You were always so inspiring. We didn’t have enough time together, either of you. Are you together now? Are you happy? Twelve years of being apart from each other is a long time. I _hope_ that you’re together. No- I know it. Knowing both of you, there’s no way you aren’t, haha.

I miss you too, Stella.

Wonder where you are now.

_[There is a picture here that shows a chocobo happily eating a gysahl green.]_

Chocobo is doing well, I think you’ll be happy to know. Haven’t named him yet.

Couldn’t bring myself to.

…I think I’m done for today. Do I say bye?

* * *

**June 17, 757 M.E. – Saturday, 2:57AM**

Hey there.

It’s been a busy couple of days. People are still trying to get used to the mornings after a year of just constant darkness. I think our bodies are just trying to keep up.

There’s still a lot of confusion, but I think we got the word out enough that they’re starting to catch on what really happened. It’s started to spread. I’ve heard that a lot of people have been grieving and crying, and it’s hard to tell them it’s going to be okay, even when it’s the truth, but…

But I was there. We were there.

Luna, did you know we went back into the Citadel that first morning? I think…that there are plans to rebuild the Citadel, but something about that just seems wrong. There’s been a lot of history, and even though I didn’t go in there all the time, I think- no, I know- Gladio and Ignis are having a harder time coming to terms with it.

We, uh, we wanted to go in and see if we could-

_[There are water stains here. The ink is smudged so that it’s illegible.]_

Sorry. I meant to say that we wanted to give you a proper burial, see. We weren’t sure what happened, but by the time we got there, there were a lot of crystal shards. A lot. Like, you know, when a summon is happening. Noct’s sword was stuck in the throne, and there was a whole lot of blood, but you…were gone. I suppose that’s a good thing. I don’t think anything we could do would ever give you justice. Ignis says that traditionally, Tenebraeans send the loved one out in a boat, a really pretty one, with lots of flowers, and then let the current carry it before it’s set on fire as the rite of passage. It just- even without you there, the blood, everything…it just…hit home that you’re really gone.

We got Aranea to bring back some sylleblossoms from Tenebrae. There were a few bits of the hill that the caretaker- Maria, sweet lady- said was salvaged from the fire. A miracle, she said. We put it in the throne room, on that big landing in front of the throne.

I honestly don’t think we’ll be doing anything with the Citadel anytime soon. Insomnia itself, though, will probably be rebuilt. No matter what, it’s still home. We’re going to knock down the Wall for good and open it up to the rest of Lucis.

_[There is a picture here of Insomnia, taken from some ways up. The picture is blurry, as if the photographer’s hand was shaking at the moment it was taken.]_

Sorry, it’s not my best picture, but I found it back in my old albums. When I was a kid. It would be good to have some reminder of what it looked like.

My body feels tired, but even a few days later, it’s hard to sleep. There’s a fear of waking up and thinking it’s still all a dream. I know, it’s only been two days.

I wonder which is worse, sometimes. A dream where it’s night forever and no one’s gone, or a reality where day is breaking and people I love are gone.

* * *

**June 28, 757 M.E. – Wednesday, 9:46AM**

It’s 9AM.

It’s already a hard day.

* * *

**June 30, 757 M.E. – Friday, 8:28PM**

_[There is a picture here of Iris, Cor, Gladio, and Ignis in a heated discussion around a table.]_

Lots of planning today. We just started talking about what we’re going to do about rebuilding, and are waiting to head to Altissia to meet with the First Secretary. Y’know, for resources and options and treatises and all that. None of us are actually politicians, but we’ll figure something out. Aranea is coming in from Tenebrae to pick us up; she’ll be representing Niflheim as well as Tenebrae. For what’s left of the Empire, I think they’ve all rallied under her. Biggs and Wedge, her two technicians (who are pretty cool, we spent a long time talking about tech stuff when I met them a while ago), have stepped up to help out as well.

Wonder how it’ll go today. Hoping things will go well. Foreseeing lots of long meetings in our future though.

I’m just glad Cid is coming with us. He’s leaving Cindy in charge of the garage, and we could always use his help.

* * *

**July 1, 757 M.E. – Saturday, 2:37PM**

Just got word of this, but there’s a memorial that’s being held in Tenebrae today. For you, Luna. And for Ravus and for your mother. I’m sorry, I never knew what happened to her.

I’m glad that they’re taking the time to remember you all now. I…we. We miss you.

* * *

**July 4, 757 M.E. – Tuesday, 9:03PM**

Well. This is taking a lot longer than I thought it would.

We’re still in Altissia. Haven’t been back since, well, you know, since we left the last time for Cartanica.

_[There is a picture here of Altissia, in front of the main gates. It was taken on the main canal into the city, showing Noctis, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto on the gondola, posing with smiles on their faces.]_

This was taken the first time we came. Remember, Noct? You should have seen him, Luna. He was so wound up and ready to see you after so long. Well, all of us were. I’d finally get to meet you in person after that time with Pryna and just writing letters. But Noct, man, he looked like he was gonna be sick.

Altissia is a beautiful city. Wish you could have spent more time here, Stella.

We’ve been making more progress with all the discussions we’re having, but it’s seriously tiring everyone out.

I think we need a break. It’s so ironic, because where better to vacation and relax than this place?

But we’ve decided on a few things-

  1. We’re rebuilding Insomnia. There’s no argument.
  2. We’re also rebuilding the Citadel, but…I’m not quite sure what to do with it yet. I don’t think anyone really wants to decide just yet.
  3. The nations won’t be segregated anymore. They’ll just be geographic locations, but I think we’re moving towards a single Council with representation from every location to act as the government all over Eos, with smaller state governments in each area. Lucis won’t be a kingdom anymore. Niflheim won’t be an empire. Honestly, I think that’s for the better.



_[There is a picture here of the sunset reflected off the waterfalls.]_

This was the sunset yesterday. Is it pretty where you guys are?

* * *

**July 6, 757 M.E. – Thursday, 5:45PM**

We’re finally back in Lucis. I think we’ve managed to get a lot done under the circumstances, but we’re all kind of burnt out, I think. We’re staying at Hammerhead for now, but Iris and Cor are headed back to Lestallum. I think Gladio will go in a few days too.

There’s more to be done. I think that’s something I’m coming to see and understand more- there’s always more to be done. And it’s nothing like when we were stuck in the dark where we were building reinforcements and trying to protect each other- you were right, Luna. It’s our world now. Just…where do we go from here? That’s the big question that’s been hanging over everyone’s head. But that’s okay, I think. We’ll figure it out as we go.

Miss you guys. Wish you were here.

* * *

**July 10, 757M.E. – Monday, 10:12AM**

It’s a new week. Gladio headed to Lestallum yesterday to help dismantle the fences and talk more with Cor and Iris about their next steps there.

People are starting to settle down, and they’re starting all of these funds and campaigns to help out with rebuilding. It’s a good thing to see, people coming together. Not in fear either, but because they want a part in making this new world.

Iggy and I are going to be staying at Hammerhead for a while. I think he wants to be closer to Insomnia, although I don’t think he’ll ever say that out loud. Some of the city planners and architects and other important people are coming in from all over Eos to plan out the rebuilding of the city, and Ignis wants to be as close to the project as possible. I don’t blame him in the least. Gladio, I think, just wants to spend more time with his sister.

That kind of leaves me…here…not sure what to do. Insomnia has always been my home, even if I wasn’t born there. I grew up there. I want to help as much as I can.

_[There is a picture here of Cid and Cindy working on tuning up a car.]_

In the meantime, I guess “as much as I can” means whatever I can do. And, y’know, the occasional chocobo ride. Chocobo’s gotta get his exercise before he gets fat eating too many greens. Took him back to Wiz’s the other day, and Wiz said he was getting a little big…

_[There is a picture here of Stella’s chocobo next to another chocobo at Wiz’s Chocobo Post. Stella’s chocobo is very obviously bigger than the average chocobo.]_

* * *

**July 17, 757 M.E. – Monday, 11:03PM**

I suppose I’m using this journal more as letters to you guys- Noct and Luna and Stella- than anything else. I guess? I mean, I’m writing down my thoughts and feelings and stuff, and isn’t that the point? That’s okay, right?

Are you guys tired of listening to me ramble? It’s okay if you are, just let me know.

…That was _definitely_ not a ploy to get you guys to talk to us. Or me. Whatever.

Just wishful thinking.

I know that.

…It’s been a long week. I’m tired.

* * *

**July 18, 757 M.E. – Tuesday, 9:45PM**

The guys (and gals, you don’t want to mess with them. Holly hand-picked a few herself from EXINERIS- oh, speaking of Holly, she came up to Hammerhead to visit too. Did you know Holly and Cindy were best buds? Grew up together, the whole nine yards. “Bosom buddies”, as Cindy said) working on Insomnia have been here for over a week now, and progress is going rather smoothly. It’s a huge project for sure, having to clear out all the debris and fix up all the systems and technology again. A group went back into the city to get an on-site survey and know what exactly needs to be done, and Ardyn left a lot of the tech in surprisingly good shape.

All the daemon carcasses we saw during that last…that last night, they disappeared with the morning. There were, however…quite a few bodies there. They’ve been given proper burials, even though half of them haven’t been identified. I wonder if they’ll ever be. But…their bodies are not something their loved ones should see. A lot of people from the team there that day got sick. Biggs and Wedge came in from Tenebrae to help out, their team and EXINERIS did a lot of the heavy lifting and body removal because they had all these hazmat suits. I suppose, though, being in a war and all kind of desensitized some to all the bodies and carnage. I think…I was just sad.

Last night, Ignis had an accident in the kitchen. I know, I couldn’t believe it either, but he left the fire going and the food actually caught fire inside of the pan. We put it out, but the pan itself is damaged beyond repair. He’ll need to get a new one.

He’s…coping as well as any of us are, I think. Iggy has held it together for a long while, but, I mean, you saw how he was after Noct. After that, we sat down and talked a little. You know how he is. He keeps going.

_[There is a picture of Ignis’ side profile. It is a candid shot, taken when he wasn’t looking.]_

* * *

**July 30, 757 M.E. – Sunday, 2:04AM**

I just realized-

Stella…I never asked you about your birthday. I don’t know when it is or when to celebrate it.

_[There are deep wrinkles in the paper here, as if someone crumpled it and smoothed it back out.]_

I wish I knew more about you. Or that we had more time together. You deserved- deserve- more.

_[There is a picture here of the sky. Treetops can be seen at the edges, and the sun is in the top left corner of the photo. The chocobo appears to be leaning over the camera as only it’s eyes and the top half of its beak can be seen.]_

Went for a long ride today out to Duscae. Actually, that’s where I am right now. Figured it would be good to come down here and check out what folks are up to and how I can help instead of staying in Leide all the time. Chocobo certainly enjoyed himself. Don’t worry, I wasn’t riding him the whole trip. And he had fun.

 _And_ got some exercise. Didn’t I tell you about how Wiz said he was getting fatter?

_[There is a picture here of the chocobo, mid-jump in front of a lake. A look of delight is on its face.]_

* * *

**August 14, 757 M.E. – Monday, 11:53PM**

It’s been such a busy month!

_[There is a picture here- a selfie showing Prompto’s head on his pillow, exhaustion on his face. He is making a face, with his tongue sticking out.]_

With all the people helping and the tech that Holly and Cindy could get their hands on, we’ve been cleaning up Insomnia at an almost insane pace every day. There are more volunteers coming in all the time from all over Eos, and Aranea has been sending tech over from wherever she could too. Seriously, a little fine tuning on Imperial tech from Cindy and Cid, and those things work wonders.

_[There is a picture here of Aranea and Cindy talking in front of an Imperial MT. Insomnia stands in the background.]_

Gladio, Iris, and Cor are back from Lestallum, and brought a bunch of people with them from over there. Remember Dave the hunter? He brought some guys from Meldacio HQ.

I guess people just hear about it and just make their way here. A lot of RVs and campers have been set up outside of the city proper in Cavaugh. It’s nice to see all these people. Bonfires at night, sharing meals all the time. Reminds me of when we were out there too, the four of us.

_[There is a picture here of a campsite, crowded with RVs and campers, with a number of bonfires going. People are eating dinner together.]_

As always, there’s more work to be done.

_[There is a picture here of Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis at camp, sitting around a campfire. It is evident that Prompto was the one who took the photo.]_

* * *

**August 30, 757 M.E. – Tuesday, 12:01AM**

_[There are water stains here, sunken deep within the paper.]_

Happy birthday, Noct.

_[There is a picture here- odd lighting, lower quality than normal- of Noctis in grade school. He looks to be no more than ten years old, standing outside of the school gates.]_

* * *

**September 4, 757 M.E. – Monday, 9:46AM**

So!

_[There is a picture here of Luna sitting with Gladio and Ignis around a campfire. Her right hand is covering her mouth as her eyes are squeezed shut in laughter. Gladio and Ignis can also be seen with smiles on their faces.]_

Happy birthday, Luna!

Sorry. I already screwed up on Noct’s birthday being a downer, but I tried to prep myself as much as I could for your birthday. I didn’t realize until I wrote it down that your birthday and Noct’s are so close. Maybe wherever you are, you can both celebrate your…birth…days…together.

Um.

_[There are water stains here. The lines of the notebook are slightly smudged.]_

Sorry.

We- Gladio, Ignis, Aranea, and I- all had dinner together a few days ago for the first time in a while. It was good to sit down and just talk with them.

A lot of the rubble from Insomnia has been cleared out, and the new city plans are already underway. People are excited to be a part of something like this, having a hand in helping rebuild this new world. I know that at the end, it’ll be something to be proud of. Just like what you both wanted.

Might mean that I won’t write as much…I’m already doing a pretty bad job at keeping up with this, but I’ll try my best!

_[There is a picture here- a selfie of Prompto giving the camera a thumbs-up. Gladio, Ignis, and Aranea are in the background, posing.]_

* * *

**October 22, 757 M.E. – Sunday, 11:32PM**

Wow, when I said I was bad at this, I didn’t think I would miss a whole month and a half. Although, it’s been a hectic month and a half, really, what with the rebuilding and all. A lot of the buildings have been completed already, and now we’re just busy trying to work out Insomnia’s electric grid while the other group continues with the construction. It’s harder than you think, you know, trying to hook everything up and make sure everything sort of works. Luckily, a good number of the old generators still work, so that helped a lot. Cid, man, you should see him work- he’s not a master for no reason. I have so much to learn.

Chocobo helps out too! The heavy lifting and whatnot. Wiz sent a bunch of chocobos over.

_[There is a picture here with Chocobo and the other chocobos carry loads of construction materials. They’re all kweh-ing at the camera.]_

_[There is a picture here of Prompto, mid-laugh, in the midst of the chocobos holding gysahl greens. All the chocobos are crowded around him.]_

It’s my birthday in a few days, and I don’t know how to celebrate. We’d usually hit the arcade and go back to Noct’s apartment to do food and cake, and Iggy will cook, but…things are going to be different this year, I suppose. I’ll keep you updated.

* * *

**October 26, 757 M.E. – Thursday, 2:05AM**

Aranea kidnapped me.

She literally kidnapped me.

As in she swooped in with that lance of hers while I was talking over some tech stuff with another tech trying to work out electricity in one of the big corporate buildings and dumped me onto her airship, and then we went out to Duscae and her men dropped- literally dropped- us off at Pullmoor Haven. Iggy and Gladio and Iris were there with camp set up, and Ignis was cooking already. We haven’t spent time like this together recently, so it was just so amazing to be together in one place, eating dinner while overlooking the sunset over Alstor Slough. Ignis baked me a cake too, and Iris and Gladio helped with the icing.

_[There is a picture here of Prompto’s birthday cake. ‘Happy birthday, Prompto!’ is written in lopsided letters with yellow frosting.]_

_[There is a picture here of everyone at camp with Alstor Slough in the background. It is evident that the camera was set on a tripod, taken during sunset.]_

_[There is a picture here of the sunset over Alstor Slough.]_

It’s surprisingly not very cold, even though it’s already the end of October. After dinner, it turns out Gladio and Aranea both brought a stash of alcohol, and, well, these two went at it challenging each other, and now they’re both knocked out. Iggy’s a lightweight, so he crashed fairly early on, and Iris fell asleep a little after her brother and Aranea dragged themselves into their tents. I’m the only one awake now, and it’s…peaceful out here.

It’s different without you, Noct. I’m starting to see that’s not a good or bad thing. It just…is. I still miss you, buddy.

* * *

**Same day, 9:43PM**

Recap of today’s events:

\- Aranea and Gladio both woke up with pounding headaches. It was even funnier because Iris decided to wake everyone up by banging a pot with one of Iggy’s wooden spatulas (everyone being me, Gladio, and Aranea. Iggy already had breakfast cooked).

\- Iggy denied that he let Iris near any of his spatulas, and because Gladio and Aranea were so out of it, they believed him. Both started cursing at the sun.

_[There is a picture here of Aranea and Gladio both glaring and squinting at the sky. Their hands are shielding their eyes, and Ignis and Iris are in the background with amused expressions on their faces.]_

\- Breakfast was a fluffy omlette and BACON. Iggy added mushrooms and spinach and avocado.

_[There is a picture here of a scrumptious-looking omlette, plate setting completely Ignis’ style.]_

\- Biggs and Wedge picked all of us up after we cleared the camp. Took us a little longer because Gladio and Aranea literally couldn’t help. They just laid on the ship deck groaning in pain.

_[There is a picture here of Aranea’s airship, with Biggs and Wedge standing next to Gladio and Aranea, who were sprawled on the deck of the ship.]_

\- Dropped everyone off at Hammerhead. Both Gladio and Aranea were… _hammered_.

\- Iris smacked me for that joke when I said it out loud.

\- Took a nap.

I felt kinda bad that I didn’t go out to Insomnia to help out today, but, well, didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night, what with Iris going around trying to kill everyone this morning with her loud noises. Not that not getting sleep is anything new. Remember those late nights and all-nighters we used to pull, Noct?

In any case, I had a good birthday. Wishing I could spend your birthdays with you guys. Wishing I knew when your birthday was, Stella. Maybe someday, we can celebrate together.

* * *

**November 5, 757 M.E. – Sunday, 6:46PM**

Things are progressing faster than ever. We’re almost done with renovations to the outside buildings…now it’s just a matter of clearing out the old furniture and tech, and then we can renovate the insides too and begin the process for what might be needed.

People have started moving into the outskirts of the City already, just inside the West Gate. There’s been…a lot of unrest lately, now that we have the time to step back and relax. Like…a lot of people trying to divvy up the land and properties. Where are all of them going to live? How do we give out portions of land in Insomnia? Ignis says that he can find the records for all of these things, but I’m pretty sure…well, that a lot of these people aren’t here anymore. So what’s going to happen to their stuff? What’s going to happen to all of this?

People may have come together in an effort to rebuild, but there is still a lot of anger and a lot of bitterness to be worked out. They have all lost homes and possessions and families in this war. We have more people getting into fights now because of those things. People angry at losing those closest to them and lashing out, people losing things because of the war and lashing out.

It's looking a little bleak so far. There are a lot of old hurts that are beginning to surface now that the initial adrenaline has gone away. Something tells me this is going to be a rough few months.

* * *

**November 14, 757 M.E. – Tuesday, 7:52PM**

The weather has gotten cold now, actually cold. Winter is coming soon, and I gotta think about presents! We haven’t planned anything out yet, but I’m assuming that Iggy will be whipping up a masterpiece meal. We’ll see.

Repairs are coming along nicely, and since we’re moving way ahead of schedule, a group has already broken off to go help out with the rebuilding efforts in Tenebrae to restore Fenstala Manor. I thought you’d be happy to hear that, Luna. Everything should be put back the way it was; last I heard, Maria the housekeeper had been placed in charge of it. She actually came all the way from Tenebrae to meet me, Iggy, and Gladio, you know? Such a great woman.

Except…your sylleblossoms…well, they might not grow again, or even quite as well as they did before when you went to take care of them. Every day, I was told in a message.

Maria has been sending us a lot of letters. She’s such a nice woman.

_[There is a picture here of a letter in curvy handwriting. The handwriting is neat, but somewhat shaky.]_

She’s also optimistic that the sylleblossoms will grow and bloom more beautiful than ever before. In her letter, she said, “Sometimes, things burn down only to rise again, more beautiful than before.”

I think…she misses you, Luna, more than she says in her letters.

I’m thinking about what she said about the sylleblossoms, and how they might bloom even though they had been covered in ashes once. I wonder how accurate that is about us. We’re all trying. Will we bloom as fully and beautifully at the end too?

* * *

**December 6, 757 M.E. – Wednesday, 8:23PM**

Winter is as cold as ever, and I didn’t miss it. Finished my Christmas shopping, and we’re going to be at Hammerhead for Christmas this year.

It’ll be good to be together again.

* * *

**December 24, 757 M.E. – Sunday, 9:54PM**

Tomorrow’s Christmas. Christmas already?

Things have been hectic, but people and the government are slowly working towards conditions and terms about owning land and moving back in. It’s a long process, but Camelia Claustra- you remember the First Secretary of Accordo- she actually flew out here from Altissia last month to help. Her and Ignis and some other older leaders have been instrumental in this whole process.

Me? I have no idea how any of this stuff works. It’s been nice to learn, but I’m content, y’know, working on the city power grid with Cid. Politics and regulations…Noct knows, he can tell you guys, Luna, Stella, politics really aren’t my thing.

Iris and Cor are coming in from Lestallum to spend Christmas with us here at Hammerhead. It’ll be nice to sit back and relax for a few days. Hard too, though, when I think about all of those people who have lost homes and families. Who are they going to celebrate with? How are they going to celebrate? What if everyone they loved was gone, and now they’re on their own?

…It’s late. Good night.

* * *

**December 25, 757 M.E. – Monday, 9:46AM**

It’s snowing! It’s snowing!

_[There is a picture here of a light snowfall in Leide. An odd sight, to be sure.]_

I mean, yeah, I’ve seen snow like this and worse, but that was, you know, when I was running around the Empire with Aranea, and…anyway.

Stella, I think you would have loved to see it. Did you get snow in Tenebrae, Luna? I suppose I could just ask around…

_[There is a picture here of a bundled-up Prompto posing with Gladio, Ignis, and Iris in thick winter clothes. They all have smiles on their faces, their cheeks burning red from the cold.]_

We’ve decided to all help out with the cooking and distribute food to those who don’t have a lot…it was Iris’ idea. Other people caught on, and now it’s a huge project for those camping out in Cavaugh. Iggy and the others have already started cooking.

* * *

**Same day, 11:40PM**

WHEW. What a day!

Lots of food to go around.

_[There is a picture of a large group of people huddled with each other around fires, eating and drinking. There are smiles on people’s faces, and string lights in the background.]_

Everyone was happy and smiling. Everyone was enjoying the company.

_[There is a picture here of an enormous Christmas tree set in the middle of a plaza in what looks like Insomnia. There are two people with their backs to the camera, one with wispy black hair, and the other gelled blond. The blond has his arm around his friend’s shoulder as they both look up at the tree.]_

It’s a different Christmas, to be sure.

Merry Christmas, you guys.

* * *

**January 1, 758 M.E. – Monday, 12:34AM**

Happy New Year!

  1. Print out all my pictures and stack ‘em in an album.
  2. Figure out where to live.
  3. Learn to cook like Iggy.



It’s the start of a new year. So much has happened in such a short time, and now that a huge part of the rebuilding is officially over, it’s time to figure out what to do after this…

Chocobo and I are pretty happy here at Hammerhead, but I think we’ll need to move out…sooner or later. Not sure where to go. Part of me wants to move back to Insomnia, but part of it just feels…wrong. Maybe. I don’t know yet. I’ve had a few talks with the others about it, and Aranea suggested moving to Tenebrae. Her team and Maria are always in need of another helping hand. Maybe I can be more of use there. We’ll see. Hey, Luna, maybe I can help with your sylleblossoms. Who knows?

* * *

**January 6, 758 M.E. – Saturday, 6:58PM**

The year _just_ started and already there’s a lot happening.

There’s been a lot of factions springing up all over the place wanting to talk about what happened during the whole war. They want to share stories and create things to commemorate it. I think it’s awesome, but it’s busy too. People are looking for us to share more details, day in and day out. It’s exhausting. But I think it’s good to have this time to really talk about you guys.

Not that we haven’t been talking about you guys, just that, well, y’know, it’s good to be able to share stories with other people too.

* * *

**January 17, 758 M.E. – Wednesday, 9:40PM**

Got a message today from Tenebrae from one of those groups that’s been trying to document and commemorate the war (and you guys)- this one particular group that wants to launch a celebration- commemoration? Of…well, you know. The light returning to Eos. Luna, the day you…well, the day you both saved the world, you and Noct, I suppose. There’s this one group based in Altissia that’s made of people from all over Tenebrae and Lucis, and they want to organize a new festival in your honor. They came to talk to me, Iggy, and Gladio about it, and their _pitch_ \- you’ll get the joke in a bit- sounded interesting. We won’t be doing any of the planning, but since we were close to you guys, they wanted to get our opinions on a few things.

A lot of them are musicians, so they composed all of this music with you in mind. The festival itself is slated to be called the _Cadenza de la Nuit_ (Iggy said _cadenza_ originally meant that it was an improvised part of music by a soloist? And that now it meant the part of music that was used to display their skills? You know I’m not a music person) and it won’t just be in Altissia either. People from Lestallum also said they wanted to get in on this too (which I fully agree with; you saved the _world_ ). Details are supposed to be under way, but I just wanted to share that with you! Thought it would be interesting…

* * *

**February 7, 758 M.E. – Wednesday, 10:34PM**

Okay, so it’s Iggy’s birthday today!

We were supposed to surprise him. Gladio was supposed to distract him on a trip out to Duscae to get some rare cooking ingredients or something- I’m not sure what excuse he ended up using- but Iris and I were supposed to make the food and cake.

Cor, of course, didn’t help. And Aranea was coming late, so she couldn’t help.

In fact, Cor just stood in the kitchen and watched us. He was _amused_.

I, uh. May have burnt the cake.

_[There is a picture here of what looks like a round cake. It is blackened and charred, with smoke still coming off of it.]_

Iris had more luck with the actual food, and let me just say this-

**_Aranea Highwind is literally the best person on the whole wide planet._ **

She actually forced me to write that, but to be fair, she earned it. She came about an hour before Gladio and Ignis were supposed to be back and saved the cake.

_[There is a picture here of a round cake covered in white frosting. ‘Happy birthday, Ignis!’ is written in a neat, flowy script in blue frosting.]_

I still don’t know how she managed to do that in such a short time. But we pulled off the surprise- barely, you know Iggy is never surprised- and we had a good time. No one got drunk tonight. I think they remember their lesson from my birthday.

* * *

**February 20, 758 M.E. – Tuesday, 12:04AM**

SO!

Gladio met someone ;)

RIGHT?? I’m excited for this new development too!

She was helping out with the reformation of Fenestala Manor. We were dropping by Tenebrae to see what we could help with (and scope out living places, you know), and she and Gladio were talking and totally hit it off. You could see big guy getting embarrassed. It was really cute.

I may have said that out loud and he may have rolled his eyes at me and smacked me on the head  **#totallyworthit**.

Apparently, the hashtags are back and trending now. Remember when they were the craze back in high school? Well, it’s now in full force and effect again. Heh.

I think you guys would like her; Iggy thinks so too. She’s really sweet, really nice. Brunette. Wide eyes. Curious. I think Iris would like her too if she had the chance to meet her **#GladiOTP**.

* * *

**April 3, 758 M.E. – Tuesday, 12:31AM**

Sorry! Again! For not writing for so long.

Been spending a lot of time with the reformation groups and with that one music group…I keep forgetting their name…and just a whole bunch of other stuff.

And chocobo riding.

_[There is a picture of Chocobo here. He’s kweh-ing happily.]_

**#chocobrolife**

Yesterday was Gladio’s birthday, and everyone went out for drinks, even, well, Gladio’s (unofficial) girlfriend. They’ve been talking for quite a while, and I think Iris has some jealous streak in her because she’s taking some of her brother’s attention, but for the most part, Iris likes her as well. It’s interesting to see the way Gladio acts around her. As if she could keep him calm and collected whenever she’s around. He laughs even more than usual when she’s there, and she’s super cool hanging out with us too **#GladiOTP**

Iggy made his favorite Cup Noodles with behemoth steak. I’ll never tell Iggy this, but I love that more than some of his other dishes **#donthaveadeathwish**

Ignis also has a new hashtag now, courtesy of Aranea **#therewillbenobitchininmykitchen**

You should have seen his face after she said it.

* * *

**June 13, 758 M.E. – Wednesday, 12:06AM**

It’s been a year.

What a year. So much has happened, and looking back- I just…

_[There are water stains here. The ink is smudged and the writing is illegible.]_

Sorry. I meant to say that I just…wanted to thank you. And that we miss you. Tomorrow, we’re going to head out to the _Cadenza de la Nuit_ , but today, today was for us. We just…sat around in a circle together. Everyone is in good spirits in celebrating the anniversary of light coming back to Eos, but…

We miss you.

* * *

**June 14, 758 M.E. – Thursday, 1:45AM**

We decided to go to the Festival in Altissia. Cor and Iris are in Lestallum, so I guess we’ll compare notes later and see how different they were.

_[There is a picture here of Altissia, with strings of fairy lights and paper mache stars and moons strung in long ropes across the tops of buildings.]_

It’s really gorgeous what they did with the place, all of this was all over the city! Oh, right, the tag is **#cadenzadelanuit**.

 _[There is a picture here of Prompto, Aranea, Gladio, and Ignis standing at the top of the stairs in the main plaza, overlooking the lower parts of the city_. _]_

Everyone was out in the streets, and there was all of this music playing. Street vendors were selling all of these night-themed foods, and Maahgo was raking in business today when we went by to check it out. The newest fads seem to be these “moon cakes”-

_[There is a picture here of a pastry in the shape of a crescent moon.]_

I forgot to ask Iggy what it’s filled with, but it was kinda sweet. Not overbearing. It was really good.

People were actually handing out flyers with your stories on there- Noct, Luna. Not a whole lot of detail, but enough. The group that came up with this festival had a list of the pieces that were being performed and played all day. Here-

_[There is a picture here of a flyer, elegantly designed. On the back, there is a list- “Cadenza de a Nuit – Valse de la Nuit Lune – Nocturne de la Lune – Somnus – Threnody de la majeste.]_

There were people dancing in the squares and plazas. I mean full-on ballroom dancing. Ignis said it’s because one of those pieces were composed as a waltz, so I suppose that makes sense. People were carrying lanterns everywhere too when the evening came and it was dark enough.

_[There is a picture here of several children running around, carrying round white lanterns. It seems to be lit on the inside with a small flame.]_

Weskham treated us to a free dinner. Mmm…good food. Iggy and Weskham were busy talking recipes for a while, but we all had a good time.

The sun set all the way, and I could swear everyone in the city went out to the docks and the plazas. They all had these big lanterns, and everyone was telling stories about you guys. The lanterns were all lit, and then they were released over the water, or from the plazas.

_[There is a picture here of lanterns in the night, floating gently in the air as the water below reflects the light. People are gathered all around, and there is a feeling of warmth through the photograph.]_

I think they were playing that piece- _Somnus_ \- when the lanterns were released. Some people wrote on the lanterns, something about saying thank you.

Thank you, Noct.

Thank you, Luna.

And thank you, Stella.

* * *

**June 17, 758 M.E. – Sunday, 9:02PM**

In Lestallum!

_[There is a picture here- a selfie of Prompto and Iris, both flashing peace signs at the camera.]_

**#reunited**

Caught up with Iris and Cor about the _Cadenza_ here, and it sounded sort of similar to what was happening in Altissia. They lit a bunch of the lanterns and released them over the outlook, so all of these lanterns were floating in the air towards Duscae and the Disc.

Wish Iris could have taken pictures! Maybe I should get her a camera for her birthday…

* * *

**July 1, 758 M.E. – Sunday, 2:45PM**

I think…I’ve decided to move to Tenebrae. There’ll be room for Chocobo to run around, and Aranea always has airships there for us for quick transportation. It’ll be a good change of scenery.

Iris is staying in Lestallum. Not sure where Gladio and Ignis are going to end up, but I think Gladio might stay somewhere near Lestallum or Duscae. He also thought about going back to Insomnia, but I don’t think Ignis is ready for that yet either.

* * *

**August 1, 758 M.E. – Wednesday, 3:56PM**

I swear I need to do better than writing once a month. But I promise it’s for a good reason.

Fenestala Manor and the Citadel have both been rebuilt and will open to the public soon as museums and libraries. Of course, they’ll also be local government offices as well, but for the most part, they’re blocking off a lot of those spaces. People have gone in- people who used to work in the Citadel, we’ve gone in, to make sure everything was back in place as it was. Your room, Noct, I’m sorry to say, we didn’t actually clean up. Just got all the dust off everything, but all your old stuff is there.

Including that chocobo piggy bank and moogle head alarm clock you have on your dresser. _Those_ are on full display **#chocobrolife #canttouchthis #sleepyprince #kingofnaps**

It really was a huge throwback walking into the Citadel and seeing everything. I’m sure Gladio and Ignis had it worse though. Maria took care of the Manor in Tenebrae, and so under her watchful and meticulous eye, I’m sure, Luna, that everything you had has been taken care of. There are people there who serve as guides, telling stories about the Citadel and the Manor and their histories. Telling your stories, after working with us for months with details and such.

It’s interesting to hear their thoughts on all of this. On how they viewed the war. What they’ve lived through. How they talk about you guys and how much you guys are loved.

* * *

**September 1, 758 M.E. – Saturday, 12:57AM**

Okay, so I suck at writing more than once a month.

We went on a fishing trip earlier today- August 30, that is- to celebrate your birthday. Happy birthday, Noct. We’re not quite as adapt at fishing as you, but we tried. Had a couple of good bites **#dontfeedthefish #feedmeinstead**

_[There is a picture here of Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis standing in front of a pier. Prompto is holding a fishing rod and a line with an Allural Sea Bass hooked on it.]_

_[There is a picture here of Chocobo happily munching on a broiled fish.]_

Went to Galdin to spend the night, camping out at Vennaugh Haven. It was a good time. Fresh fish for dinner.

We miss you. We won’t stop missing you, you know. But I hope that wherever you are…and hopefully, you’re closer than we think…you’re proud of all of this. This is the world you fought so hard to save.

We’re headed to Altissia in a few days for Luna’s birthday. We’re lined up to do some community work with dogs at the shelters, and then I’ll probably head back to Tenebrae and figure out how to help out with the sylleblossoms.

They’re beautiful, by the way, Luna. They’re blooming, and Maria and a small group of others have been watering them every day.

* * *

**September 4, 758 M.E. – Tuesday, 12:02AM**

Happy birthday, Luna.

_[There is a picture here of a field of sylleblossoms in the evening.]_

* * *

**September 7, 758 M.E. – Friday, 8:42PM**

Wishing you could have had more time with us. But wishing isn’t going to do any good, we all know that. So…I’m hoping that wherever you are, I hope that you’re happy. I hope that if I can take enough pictures, you can see all of them. That you can still experience the things you never got to.

I’m thankful for the short time we had.

I don’t want to say goodbye. Someday…I know we’ll say hello again.

* * *

**September 20, 758 M.E. – Thursday, 5:37PM**

Well, Insomnia is looking bright and lively. Things are back into a normal routine now, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned through all of this, it’s that life keeps going. And you just have to live it.

I think that’s what you’ve been trying to tell us, Luna. I get it now.

_[There is a picture here- Prompto, Gladio, Ignis, Aranea, Iris, Cor, and Chocobo standing in front of the newly-rebuilt West Bridge.]_

There’s a memorial that’s been built in the middle of Insomnia in your memory. I didn’t want to tell you guys before it was finished, but it’s really beautiful. The sculptor and artist- they did an amazing job. We all cried when we saw it, but I know it’s because we missed you guys so much. We’re glad that this will always be here to tell your stories, even after the rest of us are long gone.

I’m learning that the biggest word in the whole wide world is the word ‘alive.’ There is so much out there to do, endless possibilities. We’ve done the impossible. You’ve done the impossible. And that’s the way this world will be too, making the impossible possible. It’s a new world, overcoming its challenges.

We’ll meet again. Until we do, we’ll make you proud.

_[There is a picture here of a sculpture- the memorial that was built in the heart of Insomnia. Noctis is in traditional Lucian formal wear, sitting on the throne with his head resting on his right hand, elbow propped up on the armrest of the throne. Lunafreya is in her wedding gown, her arms resting on the same armrest, her head on her arms. They both appear to be sleeping._

_There is a poem etched underneath the sculpture-_

_Beyond the path without you is a forgotten promise to keep_  
_We may have walked side by side, but now we go on back to back_  
_And though our paths may not cross, all paths are connected somewhere_  
_When I arrive at where you are, we may not appear to be as we were_  
_But we’ll make another promise to keep.]_

_[This is the last entry.]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didcha see how I put in KH there? ;)
> 
> I really love that poem at the end. Heh. Couldn't help myself. BUT IT'S ALMOST OVER!!!! 8k words for an epilogue, this is crazy. Thank you guys so much for being so patient, for reading through this chapter, and I will see you in the final epilogue :)
> 
> Translations:  
> Cadenza de la Nuit - Cadenza of the Night  
> Valse de la Nuit Lune - Waltz of the Night Moon  
> Nocturne de la Lune - Nocturne of the Moon  
> Threnody de la majeste - Lament of the Majesties


	29. Apocalypsis Lux Ultima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ll tell you in the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter means, "Light's Final Revelation."
> 
> For those of you who had gone on this journey with me- this chapter is dedicated to you.
> 
> Protip: listen to Love Lost on loop this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV or Kingdom Hearts

Something was tickling her nose.

It was exactly like that dream she had- the vision just after Noctis had passed in Altissia, the rather horrible memory lurching her back into consciousness.

Sylleblossoms. Sylleblossoms everywhere.

Luna would know the scent anywhere. The bright light stung her eyes as soon as she opened them, causing her to flinch; she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting out the pain and blinked the water away before she attempted to open them again. This time, she looked down first, registering the fact that she was on the ground, and then she lifted her eyes to see sylleblossoms spread all over an enormous field, past the old, broken stone archway, back to-

She was back in Tenebrae, back on her own hill of sylleblossoms in the early evening. The revelation knocked the breath out of her, and she ran her hands over her body, checking for any wounds, anything she remembered sustaining after the battle at Insomnia, Ardyn, her ascension, and _oh right_ , she was dead.

_That_ revelation didn’t help her any. Luna flopped onto her back, squinting at the sky as the breeze ruffled her hair. She breathed in deeply, trying to straighten out her thoughts.

She was dead. There was no argument there. She had defeated the daemon Ardyn, and supposedly saved the world.

Was this what happened to people after they’ve died? Absent-mindedly, she pinched her leg, wincing when she could feel the pressure from her fingernails digging into her skin. She didn’t move for a while, just lying in the flowers and breathing in the fresh air. Luna decided that if she was dead, she could bloody well take her time before she had to move. She earned the break.

For a while, she let her mind wander. Both the lines of Lucis and Fleuret were gone from Eos. There would no longer be any need for a Crystal or an Oracle or a “Chosen King.” The Astrals had left, their time had passed.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Eventually, Luna reasoned, she needed to move. Pushing herself up on her hands, she slowly sat up, the breeze brushing past her face in greeting. She took in another deep breath before standing up, looking around and decided that her best bet would be to try the Manor first.

She had barely taken a step before the wind picked up, sylleblossoms drifting around her _just like that dream in Altissia_ , and Luna nearly stopped, her stomach twisting before she pulled herself back to the present. The sylleblossom petals swirled around her like a storm, as if she was right in the middle of it, and when they faded, her clothes had been completely changed- from that black blouse and white skirt back into the white dress that she had loved so much, the belted one with a single lace sleeve. For the first time in such a long time, Luna felt like  _herself_ \- back home, back with her flowers, back in her dress, and- she actually laughed out loud- her combat boots.

Whomever decided on her change of wardrobe decided that she was to stay in the combat boots she had been in throughout her entire journey. Poetic justice, she supposed, looking up at the evening sky and taking in another deep lungful of fresh air. She had journeyed so far. A soft light stole her attention as the broken archway lit up, causing Luna to lift her arms to shield her eyes before the light dimmed just a little, and then there he was, smiling at her, dressed in traditional Lucian formal wear, his wispy black hair still going every which way framing his face, and Luna swore she felt her heart stop, and it didn’t matter, it didn’t matter because as soon as he took a single step in her direction she had already beaten him to the punch, tearing across the distance between them, and then she was truly, finally home.

It took a moment for her mind to catch up with her body, to register the fact that he was _there_ , sturdy and solid and warm, to feel his arms wrapped tightly around her, to take in the soft rumble of his laughter. A second moment allowed her to take in his scent, allowed her other senses to come back and for her to pull slightly away, not realizing how tightly they were coiled around one another until she drew back just enough to see his face.

Noctis Lucis Caelum looked at her with the brightest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen.

“Hi,” he said, a grin on his face. She couldn’t help the wide smile that appeared on her lips after that.

“Hi,” Luna whispered back.

A third moment gave them the time to just be with each other.

That was all the confirmation she needed. The war was over. They had won, morning would be born in Eos, and her journey was over, and now she- they- could finally, finally rest.

There were so many words that waited to be said between them, twelve years’ worth of them that threatened to spill over, but in this moment, they were content. Instead, Noctis looked down at her combat boots, a teasing smile forming.

“Nice shoes.”

Luna laughed, _really_ laughed, the sound ringing through the field and carried by the wind all around them, the wind cooling her cheeks where the tears she hadn’t even noticed slipped down her face. She managed a soft “ _oh_ ” before she gave in to the sobs that suddenly hit her, Noctis simply holding her as the weight of what had happened crashed down on top of her like a ton of bricks.

Time, Luna knew, meant nothing. She had all of eternity now, here at the end of the road.

“Oh,” She said, sniffling and shifting, putting her hand into her pocket and drew out two small objects.

They were pictures, the pictures that Prompto had given her just before they walked into the throne room, pictures that he had wanted her to have with her as she went through her battles, the ones that she had to fight alone, as she went through her ascension.

“ _Oh_ ,” Luna breathed again, fresh tears falling onto them. Noctis looked at both of them with her, his eyes misting over as he saw the one of him and his brothers at the beginning of their adventure, posing in front of the Regalia at Hammerhead. His grip on her tightened as his eyes swept over the second picture of her and Gladio and Ignis and Prompto in Altissia, smiles on their faces. Luna sniffled again. They were safe now, their friends. They could live out their lives without the horrors of darkness hanging over them. They were _free_.

_Free_ , she thought as she gripped Noctis’ hand, their fingers weaving together.

He didn’t say, _I’m so proud of you_. No _, are you all right?_ Not even a, _you holding up okay?_ Or _how can I help you? What do you need?_

Instead, he gently bumped his shoulders against hers, tightening his hold on her hand. “You never let me down.”

Luna gave him a watery grin. “I know.”

Biting the inside of his cheek, Noctis had the audacity to look slightly embarrassed. “I won’t let you down,” he finally said, a broad smile on his face.

_I love you_.

Pressing her forehead against his, Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I know you won’t,” she murmured, listening to his breathing, to the soft rustle of the sylleblossoms in the breeze.

_I love you too._

“Luna-" Noctis tried to say, but when she lifted her head to look directly at him, he couldn’t help it- the smile on his face was instantaneous, and he didn’t have to say it, but she knew, she always knew, and their lips met in a soft kiss, their first, after so many years and trials and hardship and separation and war.

The breeze picked up once more when they gently pulled away from one another, the bright archway glowing. Luna’s brow furrowed. Who-

A childish shriek rang through the air, and then two small figures came rushing into the sylleblossoms, and _oh_ Luna was so shocked she let out a loud gasp as Dawn and Diana, four and six years old, emerged hand-in-hand from the light, looking up at her and Noctis. To her immense surprise, her girls stopped just short of reaching them, and it was then she noticed- they were still transparent, not fully there, striding the line between worlds.

“Hi Daddy, hi Mama,” Diana said, waving. Dawn jumped excitedly next to her sister, her blonde pigtails bouncing up and down.

“HiDaddyhiMama!” she chirped, parroting her sister.

Luna fought back another barrage of tears as she and Noctis kneeled down to be level with their girls, despite Noctis’ confusion at the situation. He was following her lead. “Hello, darlings,” she greeted softly, giving them a smile.

“Um…” Dawn started, looking down at herself. Diana giggled.

“We’re not really here,” her older daughter told her. “But someday, we will be.”

“Oh, right!” The little one piped up excitedly. “We were supposed to say, um, Mr. Ar…Ar…”

Her sister sighed. “Mr. Ardyn said to say hello,” making her mother arch her eyebrow in surprise. “And that we’re, um, we’re not really here, but we’ll see you one day soon.”

It was Dawn’s turn to giggle. “We asked him how and he said we’ll be babies when we see you, but he wouldn’t tell us why we would be babies!”

A slight movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and Luna and Noctis’ gazes flicked up to see Ardyn, the human Ardyn, fully restored to youthfulness, younger than they had ever seen him, with a wide grin in htheir direction, tipping his fedora towards them. Luna fought to keep from rolling her eyes. _Now_ what her girls were saying made sense. Blowing out a breath, she carefully raised her hands to where her daughters’ cheeks were, feeling nothing but air on her palms. Still, Luna imagined that she could touch her babies, that she could say this last goodbye and their second hello.

“I can’t wait to meet you,” she finally said, feeling the ache in her chest, knowing that one day, she would be able to hold them again.

Dawn and Diana looked up with excited expressions on their little faces, and then they both faded away in a soft light. Luna and Noctis stood back up, Ardyn- still there- taking their attention once more. The man gave them a grin and a two-fingered salute before he turned and walked into the light in the archway, the light fading back into the field of sylleblossoms after he passed through.

It was just them then, holding onto each other’s hands, grasping onto that fragile moment.

“There something you want to tell me?” Noctis spoke first, and there was a softness in his eyes that Luna knew came from seeing Dawn and Diana for the first time. She let out a soft laugh, squeezing his fingers.

There was time to tell him, to let him know just who those two little girls were, who they would one day become. But for the moment, the sunset had passed and night had fallen over Tenebrae, the stars shining brighter than ever in the stellar heavens. It was time to rest; it was moonrise, and Luna knew that at the end of the night, she knew that the dawn would break once more. Turning back to Noctis, she gave him a smile.

“I’ll tell you in the morning.”

* * *

_There is always sleep between part and meet,  
With our usual words on the usual street._

_So let us part like we always do  
And in a world without you, I’ll dream of you._

_When I come to, let us meet  
With our usual words on the usual street._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I can't believe it.
> 
> After just shy of a year of writing, this fic has come to an end. This is the longest piece I've ever written, and definitely one that I am extremely proud of.
> 
> I cannot thank you guys enough for all of your support, whether it was kudos, comments, subscribes, beta-ing...just thank you so much to all of you for reading this and embarking on this incredible journey with me. I don't often write long works, but they are so, so rewarding. Thank you guys so much. All of you. This fic would not be what it is without your input, without your support. Thank you.
> 
> Don't worry though, this is definitely not the last FFXV work I'll do! I'm still working on the Caelus Aeternus series (which was also just updated, so go check that out!), and will write whenever I'm stuck by a plot bunny :)
> 
> I will miss all of you so, so, so much, so please keep in touch! Whether it's to spazz or rant or talk about everything, anything, and nothing, please do connect with me :) my email, tumblr url, and twitter are all on my bio! You are definitely more than welcome to contact me in any of those ways.
> 
> Now, at the end of our journey...what can I say? I suppose I'll just take a page out of Noctis' book. You guys...are the best.
> 
> Thank you.


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